Fatal Frame
Plot Analysis Version: 0.4
By Coolmik Coolmik@animespider.com and PeckingBird
PeckingBird@hotmail.com
© Copyright 2002 Coolmik & PeckingBird
Table Of Contents
-----------------
I. Introduction
A. Contact
B. Foreword
C. FAQ Permission
D. Updates
II. Questions and Answers
III. Characters
1. Hinasaki Family
A. Miku Hinasaki
B. Mafuyu Hinasaki
C. Miyuki Hinasaki
2. Novelist's Group
A. Koji Ogata
B. Tomoe Hirasaka
C. Junsei Takamine
3. Himuro Family
A. Family Master
B. Kirie (Rope Shrine Maiden)
C. Shrine Priests
D. Girl in White
4. Munakata Family
A. Ryozo Munakata
B. Yae Munakata
C. Mikoto Munakata
5. Combined Information
IV. Whole Correlation
1. Hinasaki Family
2. Novelist’s Group
3. Himuro Family
4. Munakata Family
V. In-Game Notes/Files
1. Mafuyu's Notes
2. Folklorist's Diary
3. Takamine's Notes
4. Hirasaka's Notes
5. Ogata's Notes
6. White Tapes
7. Blue Tapes
8. *Unknown Tape*
9. Red Tapes
*More to be added*
VI. Theories
1. JuniperValkyrie's Theories
2. Allan C Cybulskie's Theories
3. David's Theories
*Submit more theories please!*
VII. E-Mail Questions
VIII. All Together Plot Analysis
*Coming Next Version*
IX. Afterword
X. Credits
----------------------------
I. Introduction
----------------------------
A. Contact
If you would like to contact me about anything, (Mistakes
on FAQ, Information, etc.) please e-mail me at
Coolmik@animespider.com or e-mail PeckingBird at
PeckingBird@hotmail.com
B. Foreword
Hello, this is Coolmik, I just wanted to say that this FAQ
is not complete. This Plot Analysis covers the game up to
the 3rd Night. May I also note that there will be, of
course, *SPOILERS* in the analysis (Duh). If anyone has any
additional information about In-Game Notes/Files on or past
the third night, please e-mail me or PeckingBird so that I
can add them here. Proper credit will be given accordingly.
C. FAQ Permission
This Plot Analysis may only be posted on GameFAQs. If you
would like to add my Analysis to your website, e-mail me or
PeckingBird and I will consider it. And please, if you see
any other website have this FAQ, e-mail us ASAP and we will
take care of it. If we do give you permission to use my
FAQ, you *MUST KEEP THE COPYRIGHT AND CREDITS* on it. We
have spent much of my time arranging this for the people at
GameFAQs, please don't steal.
So far these sites may use this FAQ:
http://www.gamefaqs.com
http://www.neoseeker.com
http://www.psxcodez.com
D. Updates
We are aware that some things are missing from this Plot
Analysis, if any of you have any information that is not
here that is related to the plot or about any of the
characters, e-mail us and we will put your name in the
credits section.
Version 0.1
Just started the Plot Analysis, put in the layout and TOC.
Also added some Author Descriptions.
Version 0.2
PeckingBird added the rest of the character information and
started the Correlation.
Version 0.3
Finished the Correlation
Version 0.4
Changed the controls section and added some information on
the files and characters sections. I also changed some of
the Correlation! Thanks for the help that all of you are
giving! Keep it coming!
----------------------------
II. Questions and Answers
----------------------------
Q. What's this game about?
A. This game is based on a true story that took place in
Japan. The story (real-life) is about a cult that performed
rituals inside a mansion. The insides of the mansion were
supposedly splattered with blood. The story (In-Game) is
about a girl named Miku, that enters the same mansion,
looking for her brother, Mafuyu. As Miku enters the mansion
she finds out more about the mansion and the people who were
there, living or otherwise...
----------------------------
Q. What are the controls for this game?
A. The controls are pretty basic. There are two modes:
Normal (Walk-Around) Mode, and Camera (Weapon) Mode.
Normal Mode
Directional Pad: Moves Miku around the mansion.
Left Analog: Same as D-Pad.
Right Analog: Aim the Flashlight.
L1:
R1:
L2:
R2:
X: The action button, check, look, open doors, etc.
Square: Hold down button to run. (Sprint, jog?)
Circle: Enter Camera Mode.
Triangle: In-game menu. Lets you choose film, read files,
etc.
Start: Outside menu, lets you quickly quit the game.
(Scared?)
Select: Nothing.
Camera Mode
Directional Pad: Aim Camera
Left Analog: Same as D-Pad
Right Analog: Sidestep left, right, back, forward.
L1:
R1: Take Photo
L2:
R2:
X: Take Photo
Square: Move Camera aim faster.
Circle: Leave Camera Mode.
Triangle: Quickly turn around. (180)
Start:
Select: Nothing.
----------------------------
Q. Should I rent/buy this game?
A. It depends on what you like in a game. If you like a
good scare and want a good story to go with it, you should
buy it. But if you are looking for a game that has a lot of
action (Fighting Games), you should probably rent it and see
if you like it. If you do like it, then buy it!
----------------------------
Q. Who is...?
A. Please look for the character that you are asking about
it the appropriate section.
----------------------------
Q. I know something that isn't in your FAQ, can I send you
the info?
A. Of course! I am willing to take any information that I
don't have in this guide. However, please look through the
whole guide to see whether or not it is in here already.
And if you missed it the first time, my e-mail is
Coolmik@animespider.com . Credit will be given accordingly.
----------------------------
Q. I'm stuck at... I can't find the... Can you help me out?
A. This is a plot analysis... So I can't really help you.
I might, sometime in the future, make a detailed walk-
through for all of you, so please be patient.
----------------------------
Q. I saw this FAQ on another site that wasn't listed on what
sites you want it to be used on! What do I do?
A. Please tell me what site you found it on and if possible,
the webmaster's e-mail. (If you really want to help, when
you e-mail me, try to convince the webmaster that he can't
post my FAQ there. ^_^') *NOTE* If you see this FAQ on
another site, PLEASE CHECK the listed sites that can use it
first!
----------------------------
Q. I have a question that isn't listed here...
A. If you have a question that isn't answered here, please e-
mail me the question and I will try to answer it ASAP.
----------------------------
----------------------------
III. Characters
----------------------------
1. Hinasaki Family
A. Miku Hinasaki
A young girl of about 15-18. She went to the Himuro Mansion
in search of her brother, Mafuyu. Inside the mansion, she
discovers a lot about the rituals that were held there. All
she has as a weapon in the mansion is a camera that her
mother left behind when she died, (Actually, in the intro,
Mafuyu has it, but Miku finds it later.) and some special
types of film.
Author's Description:
This is the main character of the game. She wears a white
top and a dark blue/black skirt. She is actually pretty
cute. Looks kind of like Kasumi from the Dead or Alive
series. Voice is pretty good when dialogue is actually
happening...
B. Mafuyu Hinasaki
A young man of about 15-18. (Probably nearly the same age as
Miku.) Mafuyu went to the Himuro Mansion in search of his
mentor, Junsei Takamine. Little is known about him, she is
the brother of Miku and the son of Miyuki Hinasaki. While
searching for Takamine in the Intro, he disappears.
Author's Description:
This is the co-main character of the game. (If there
actually is... You only play as him in the Intro.) Pretty
cool, if he didn't look like a girl in the beginning… (I
thought he was a girl in the Intro. ^_^') He would be a
great character if he was playable in the story. Too bad
the Intro was black and white.
C. Miyuki Hinasaki
The mother of Miku and Mafuyu Hinasaki. Not much is known
about her. She had a kind of sixth sense, though. When she
died, she left her camera to her children.
Author's Description:
Uh... I don't really know about her, so I'll just say that
she looks a LOT like Yae Munakata. As saying in Yae's
description, Yae committed suicide. I don't know if Miyuki
was supposed to have died like that or what. (If anyone has
more information about this character, please e-mail me!)
2. Novelist's Group
A. Koji Ogata
This is the editor for the Novelist's Group. (Takamine) He
was the first one of the Novelist's Group to die, which had
a LOT of effect on Tomoe. Koji was a victim of the
Strangling Ritual, which is roping around the neck, arms,
and ankles. His body was found mutilated.
Author's Description:
I can't really say that much but that in the tape recorder
scene, he scared the stuffing out of me! He only appears as
a ghost in the game. The first one, that is actually
challenging. It's a shame on the way that he died... having
his arms, legs, and head torn off... *Shiver* I never found
his body like the others though. (I wonder where it is...?)
Koji's Body Found:
LarethRackeon@aol.com says:
It's strange that you say you don't know where his body is,
because you mention the tape recorder scene in which he
appears... Koji died in what some people call the Library
room. Here are accurate directions on how to get to where
his body lays (you get an interesting scene for it if you
check here on the first night, and you can nab a picture of
him as a still ghost on the third night). Go to the room
with the firepit in the middle (it has a grandfather clock
with stairs nearby). Forward and to the left, just before
the stairs is a door that's hidden in the early game by a
partition. Go through it, turn right, move down the hall
until you're forced to turn left, then go through the door
on the immediate left into the Library room. Go around the
rather large divider, straight ahead onto the slightly
raised platform between the two wooden beams, and then
around the partitions to the right. If you're early in the
game, you'll hear this weird voice/noise that sounds almost
like a mechanical growl in origin. When you open the door, a
cinema plays where Miku starts to move towards the tape
recorder she see's and Koji's body falls. When you try to
take the tape recorder (shiny object that remains) another
cinema plays where Miku reaches for the recorder, Koji's
ghost suddenly reaches out and grasps her wrist, and his
(almost) death scene plays out. This is indeed the site of
his death because, if you return here on the third night, as
you can with the locations the others died, you can get a
picture of his still ghost worth a large amount of spirit
points (as all the still ghosts are worth on that night).
Anyways, hope that helps, though again it seems as if you
should have known this since you knew about the tape
recorder scene, so I wonder why you asked in your plot
analysis.
B. Tomoe Hirasaka
This is the assistant of Junsei Takamine. She has the sixth
sense which is VERY bad in a place where there are many
ghosts. Before she arrives at the mansion, she feels
uncomfortable about going. After finding Koji's mutilated
body, she loses hold of her sanity. Tomoe died by the
ghosts of the mansion. I think that they strangled her.
Author's Description:
Tomoe is one of those kind of characters in a game that
really compels you to it. The element of her losing her
sanity is a point that made me cling to the game. It's a
shame that she dies too... Oh yeah, her body was found in
the Abyss.
C. Junsei Takamine
Takamine is the leader of the Novelist Group. He is already
42 and is looking for some materials in Himuro Mansion for
his next book. Takamine has been doing a lot of researches,
gathering from library and articles, even before heading to
Himuro Mansion. Takamine is also Mafuyu’s benefactor. He
trusts Tomoe to assist him. He came to the mansion to find
Ryozo’s researches for more materials gathering.
Author’s Description:
Takamine seems to be unafraid of his situation and knows
what to do. He even volunteers to break the curse of Himuro
Mansion by finding the mirror pieces, thanks to Tomoe’s
info. He finally dies in the Narukami Shrine at backyard
when his body got lifted to the ceiling and came crashing to
the ground.
3. Himuro Family
A. Family Master
Little information is known as the Family Master. I do not
know his real name but I know he is a head master of the
Himuro Mansion. He performs the ritual which probably
eliminate the maiden of all worldly connections. He is
involved in the Blind Demon Ritual and Demon Tag Ritual. The
mask he wore is actually the mask of reflection. During the
final ritual, the mask he wore symbolizes the demon. He is
needed to perform the sacrificial ritual. He commits suicide
after going on the murder rampage in the mansion.
Author’s Description:
The Family Master looks like some kind of cult master when
perform the ritual. He is also the one who cause the
blindness of one of the lady who later turns to blind ghost
you see in Night 1 and 2. From the notes I read, no one
knows the reason for his suicide.
B. Kirie (Rope Shrine Maiden)
Kirie is the Rope Shrine Maiden who haunts the Himuro
Mansion. All her limbs, heads and arms got separated during
the ritual. No one knows the meaning of the ritual.
Author’s Description:
Okay, let me tell you this, I’m only in Night 3. So I’m not
sure about what all the ritual is about. Maybe it is to
appease the souls from another alternate hell.
C. Shrine Priests
Okay, those shrine priests are really the family members of
Himuro Mansion. Only they are allowed to take part in the
rituals. They later got wiped out under the katana by the
Family Master.
Author's Description:
These Priests were part of the Blinding Ritual, after the
Family Master went crazy, they were all murdered and on the
third night, and Miku has to fight them.
D. Girl in White
No one knows who this girl is. She sometimes appear to help
Miku.
Author’s Description:
Okay, the info is quite short. I honestly know nothing about
her except that she could be Kirie in her young form. But
why are there 2 Kirie then? Guess I have to play further to
find out.
4. Munakata Family
A. Ryozo Munakata
A folklorist who is obsessive in the research about Himuro
Mansion, not only that he brought along his family too to
reside and besides the fresh air in that secluded area helps
in Mikoto sickness. He cares for his daughter a lot. He got
killed by Kirie after opening the giant gate door in Demon
Mouth.
Author’s Description:
Geez, another dude who’s over-obsessive about Himuro
Mansion’s past, just like Takamine. But the only thing I’m
not sure is why Ryozo is obsessed with the mansion.
B. Yae Munakata
A folklorist’s wife. She is very over-protective about her
daughter, Mikoto and knows the dark secret about the camera
and the mansion. She blames for her daughter’s disappearance
and hangs herself by the Cherry Tree in the atrium.
Author’s Description:
Yae looks like Miku’s mother a lot! Also, is the camera Yae
possesses, the same as the camera Miku’s mum possesses? BTW,
I think the daughter’s disappearance drives her nut to
suicide. It got nothing to do with the ability of not
resisting the power of Mikoto’s camera.
C. Mikoto Munakata
A daughter of Ryozo and Yae. She is a sickly child but gets
better after moving to Himuro Mansion. She also found the
camera deep within the mansion. When she saw something
unclean in the photos, she got sick again. From her bio, it
says she was kidnapped by the ghosts in Himuro Mansion.
Author’s Description:
Actually Mikoto did really get kidnapped by ghosts. Somehow,
the ghosts released her and left her back in the mansion
where she later be found. Apparently, she’s one of the 4
children who got lost in Himuro Mansion while playing demon
tag. She was adopted by Mr. Hinasaki, a close friend of
Ryozo.
5. Combined Information
Allan C Cybulskie (allan.c.cybulskie@sympatico.ca) says:
Mikoto was Miyuki's mother. The only thing she took from
the house when her parents were found dead and she was
adopted was the camera, which she passed onto her daughter,
who then passed it on to her son Mafuyu and daughter Miku.
It is implied that both Yae's death and Miyuki's death were
suicides caused by not being able to handle the power of the
camera.
The camera contains the last piece of the holy mirror, which
is probably why it can capture ghosts and probably why it
has the powers it has.
The girl in white appears to be a younger incarnation of
Kirie. When it came time for the Binding Ritual, Kirie was
torn between wanting to live to be with her love, or
fulfilling her duty to seal the Malice in. It seems that
the Girl in White is a portion of her soul that wanted to
fulfill her duty, thus she is trying to help Mafuyu and Miku
break the curse. Kirie (Calamity) is a portion of her soul
that was corrupted by the Malice, and she wants to make
everyone she meets suffer as she did. Mafuyu looks like her
lost lover, however, so she doesn't kill him.
While Miku was wandering the mansion, Mafuyu was also
wandering the mansion. They both see each other at various
times, but it appears that there was some time warping going
on in the house, so they were out of sync at various times
and so couldn't interact with each other.
Kirie was prepared for her role as a rope maiden for all of
her life. She was well aware of her duty and how important
it was, which led to the eventual development of the Girl in
White. However, when she say the man and they eventually
fell in love, she had an attachment to the world, which led
to the failure of the Binding Ritual.
It was Yae who was ill, not Mikoto.
The failure of the rituals drove the Family Master mad, and
that's why he killed all of the priests, and then himself.
It's likely that he blamed himself and the priests for the
failure and deemed that the punishment for the failure must
be death (a fairly standard ancient Japanese idea).
LarethRackeon@aol.com says:
First, the Rope Shrine Maiden ritual. There is indeed a gate
to a sort of hell underneath the grounds of the mansion. The
ritual is actually used to try and keep that gate closed, so
that the "Malice" (the evil force which possesses the Kirie
ghost who kills people, and that has brought all the ghosts
back and in strength) doesn't escape. The Shrine Maiden is
stretched to an extreme by a mechanism (I don't believe
anything is actually severed though) until death. The ropes
are then bound crisscrossing between two pillars in front of
the gate. They're supposed to hold the gate closed when it
tries to open, but because of Kirie's obsession with the
guest (who is supposed to look alot like Mafuyu) she became
attached to this world, and after her death, when the family
attempted to use the ropes to bind the gate, the ropes
snapped, and the gate opened, releasing the Malice (which
seems to have then possessed Kirie's spirit). As for the
girl in the white kimono who helps at times, this is indeed
also Kirie. It seems when the spirit of Kirie was possessed
by the Malice, it divided, of a sorts, and formed almost an
alternate personality of itself that still possesses some of
the innocence of the truer spirit. That being why Kirie is
younger, in that form. It seems the reason Yae Munakata
looks so much like Miyuki Hinasaki is because they're
related. Yae is Miyuki's grandmother. Mikoto, who as you
mentioned disappeared and was later adopted by Mr. Hinasaki,
later gave birth to Miyuki Hinasaki, and thus Mikoto is Miku
and Mafuyu's grandmother. The camera that Yae and Mikoto saw
the ghost's of the Mansion through is later passed on,
through Mikoto, to Miyuki and later to Mafuyu/Miku. That is
why the camera holds so much power over the ghosts of the
mansion. It's bound to the curse of the place, and that's
why it allowed Yae/Mikoto and later the game's main
characters, to see the ghosts more clearly through it.
----------------------------
----------------------------
IV. Whole Correlation
----------------------------
----------------------
| Novelist’s group |
----------------------
___________ ______________
|Koji Ogata | |Tomoe Hirasaki|
|-----------|<--->|--------------|
|__cursed___| |____cursed____|
^ business ^
| partners |
business | _______________ |trust
partners |-->|Junsei Takamine|<--|
|---------------|
|____cursed_____|----------------------------
---------|
^
|
|
|
takes his life |
|
|
|
|
|
--------------------- |
|
| Himuro Family | |
|
--------------------- |
|
_______________ |
|
| Family Master | |
|
|---------------|----| |
|
|commit suicide | | |
|
--------------- | |
|
failure|of ritual | |
benefactor/looks for |
| _V___|_________________
|
| | Kirie |
|
|murders |-----------------------|
|
| | rope shrine maiden |
|
| -----|------|----------
|
| | |
|
____V_________ | |
_____________ |
|Shrine Priests| | | |Girl in
White| |
|--------------| | | |----------
---| |
| murdered | | | | helps
Miku | |
-------------- | | ----------
--- |
--------------------------- |
|
| ---------------------- | captures
|
| | Hinasaki Family | |
|
| ---------------------- |
|
| ---------------------|
|
| ________V__________
|
| | Mafuyu Hinasaki |<----------------------------------
---------|
| |-------------------|<------------------------
| | breaks the curse |-----------------| |
| ------------------- sister | |brother
| | |
| _____V_______|_____
|takes his life | *Miku Hinasaki* |
| ----------------------->|-------------------|
| | mother and the child | chases Mafuyu |
| | -------------------
| | ^
| _______V___________ |
| | Miyuki Hinasaki | |
| |-------------------|--------------------|
| | Miku's Mother |left a camera behind
| -------------------
|
| -----------------------
| | Munakata Family |
| -----------------------
--------
|
______V_______
|Ryozo Munakata|
|--------------|<----------------------------|
| cursed | daughter |
-------------- |
^ |
| _______V_________
| | Mikoto Munakata |
| |-----------------|
|a married couple | disappears |
| -----------------
|
|
______V_________
| Yae Munakata |
|----------------|
| commit suicide |
----------------
(Whew!)
*Note from Coolmik: This correlation is taken from the
third night. If you have any changes from the fourth night,
please tell us. Oh yeah, sorry if it's confusing! ^_^'
----------------------------
----------------------------
V. In-game Notes & Files
----------------------------
*Mafuyu's Notes*
Mafuyu's Notes 1-Himuro Mansion & the missing novelist
<
>
Himuro Mansion was once the home of a large landowner that
controlled vast areas of land. They also say that the site
held some special significance that had to do with Shinto
rituals of the region. (I couldn't find any detailed books
about these Shinto rituals, though.)
The last master of the Himuro family line massacred his
entire household. Later, another family that tried to live
there disappeared. Because of incidents like these, nobody
visits the mansion today, and it lies in ruin.
Maybe that's why there aren't any accounts of the Shinto
rituals, and why the exact location of the place isn't
recorded anywhere.
Sept 24th
I've had a bad feeling ever since I came to this mansion.
I'm leaving notes in this notebook just in case anything
happens to me. I've got to find find Mr Takamine and the
others fast...I hope it's not too late!
Mafuyu's Notes 2-The mansion's curse
I must have been passed out. I'm afraid it's too late to
help Mr. Takamine...If only I had come to sooner! The
spirits in this mansion are very powerful. The force behind
this curse must be here somewhere...And I'm going to start
looking for it right now!
Mafuyu's Notes 3-The mansion is changing
The mansion has started to change. As far as I can figure
out, the ghosts are trying to pull me back into the past.
The spirits are using their power to make parts of the
mansion revert to the way they were in the past. The ghosts
of that era are beginning to stir/
Just what exactly happened in this mansion, anyway? And just
what do the ghosts want me to do about it?
Mafuyu's Notes 4-The woman in a white kimono
I felt some especially powerful energy off of that woman in
the white kimono. I think she's probably the one behind the
mansion's curse. I have to appease her spirit somehow,
before anyone else falls victim to this mansion!
I have to find out what exactly is keeping her drawn back to
this world. And why did she let me go when she had me, I
wonder? Maybe that had something to do with it...
Mafuyu's Notes 5-Ghosts of the women with the gouged-out
eyes
It looks like the ghosts of the women with the gouged out
eyes react strongly to sounds. If I'm really quiet, I can
get away without being noticed.
*Folklorist's Diary*
Folklorist's Diary 1-Moving to Himuro Mansion
May 20th
We've finally gotten through the move to Himuro Mansion. I
had a hard time cutting through all the red tape with the
local officials. But, just as I'd hoped, the air is fresh
here! It should be good for Yae in her poor health.
My daughter Mikoto seems to like this area, too. She's made
friends here already, & is enjoying herself. Yae seems to
think the old mansion is spooky, but I plan to do some work
on it. Make it easier for her to live in. (Once I get
settled in my research.)
The best thing about living here is that I don't have to go
out to do my research. It's all here in this mansion. I can
be right by Yae's side all of the time.
Folklorist's Diary 2-Investigating Himuro Mansion
June 2nd
Since we moved to Himuro Mansion, my research is progressing
even more quickly than I had hoped. The other day, I found
some documents left by the last master of the Himuro line.
They say he went on a murderous rampage, and then committed
suicide...
This mansion is filled with tricky devices and mechanisms.
And there seem to be some rooms that aren't shown on the
house plans...I'm absolutely certain there are many more
documents hidden around the place somewhere.
June 5th
I know people in this area are standoffish by nature, but
the locals here are especially reticent when it comes to
talking about the ritual. The Rope Shrine Maiden, the Holy
Mirror, the Calamity...I'm sure the ritual must be the key
to understanding all of these legends.
Folklorist's Wife's Papers 3-The daughter disappears
June 24th
Mikoto is missing. She said she was going to play Demon Tag
here in the mansion. I don't think she would have gone
outside...She had that camera with her...None of Mikoto's 4
friends have come home, either. It's as if they've all been
snatched up away by ghosts...
June 27th
It's been 3 days since Mikoto was snatched away from us.
Everything has been so strange! Ever since we moved to this
mansion...Ever since we got that camera...If I lost my
sanity now, too. I wouldn't have to think about it anymore.
I could be free...I can see them...I can see them now even
without the camera...
Folklorist's Wife's Death Note-About the daughter vanishing
Death Note
Dear Ryozo, It's all my fault...It's all because I let
Mikoto use the camera that day! And now evil spirits have
gone and taken her away from us...It's all my fault. I'm
sorry.
Folklorist's Diary 3-The camera the girl found
June 13th
Mikoto found an odd camera. She said she found it in the
mansion when she was playing demon tag. I tried asking her
exactly where in the mansion, but she just keeps saying a
girl in a white kimono gave it to her, I can't find out any
more about it.
June 14th
I had a look at the camera Mikoto found yesterday, but I
didn't see anything special about it. It was probably left
here some time ago by somebody that came to investigate the
mansion.
June 15th
The weather was wonderful today, and Yae seems to be feeling
better. The 3 of us decided to take a walk in the mountains.
Yae hadn't been out in a long time, & she really seemed to
enjoy it. She had fun with Mikoto's camera, taking pictures
with it all day long.
Folklorists Diary 4-Yae's illness
June 18th
These past few days, Yae has been taking pictures with
Mikoto's camera all over the mansion. I asked her what she
was taking pictures of, but she just kept mumbling, "I can
see them." as if she were delirious. She wouldn't say
anything else...
June 19th
Ever since the day we walked in the mountains. Yae hasn't
been feeling very well. Today she's in bed and very ill.
Folklorist's Wife Papers 2-The camera capturing things
June 18th
That camera seems to have some kind of uncanny power. It can
capture things that aren't even there...Mikoto begged me to
let her have the camera back.
I don't understand the things that camera captures...But I
know I can never let Mikoto see them! I have to protect her.
Something terrible is going to happen, I can feel it.
Paper with a Child's Handwriting-About a girl named Mikoto
Isn't Mikoto ever going to come find me? We're playing Demon
Tag, and she's supposed to be the "Demon". Did she quit,
maybe? Hey, I wonder if Mikoto likes me? If she ever comes
and finds me, maybe I'll ask her!
*Novelist Takamine's Notes*
Novelist Takamine's Notes 1-The mansion's lore; next work's
plot
<>
A series of murders in a country village. Dead bodies turn
up one after another. Murders that resemble cruel Shinto
rituals of legend in the area. The acts of a man sworn to
revenge, and the strange correlation between those acts and
the folklore.
The man is gradually more and more influenced by the
legends. The work will be the story of this man, proceeding
in parallel with the tales of the local lore. Records of the
past discovered after an earthquake. The story gradually
blurs the boundary between the present and the past.
July 24th-About Himuro Mansion
Himuro Mansion is known as the home of a large landowner
that controlled this region. But they say it was originally
the place a shrine was built for performing a certain Shinto
ritual, passed down through the generations.
But the people of that time kept the ritual a deep, dark
secret. They were even forbidden to speak its name aloud.
Today, almost no accounts of the ritual exist, aside from a
smattering of folklore legends.
Novelist Takamine's Notes 2-Finding editor Ogata's body
Sept 13th, 9:30 am
We found Ogata's body. His head, hands and feet were
strangled off...What happened to him is just like the
strange deaths that occurred here long ago. There was a
photo of Ogata near him. In it, there was something that
looked like ropes on his neck, arms and legs.
I wondered if it has anything to do with the Rope Shrine
Maidens in the legends around here, the girls that had ropes
tied to their neck, arms and legs, too...?
Sept 13th, 12:10 pm
Tomoe is acting strangely. She's been mumbling nonsense all
morning. Something about ropes...And mirrors...I can't blame
her for going to pieces, though, after seeing what happened
to Ogata.
Novelist Takamine's Notes 3-Hirasaka's condition getting
worse
Sept 13th, 3:00 pm
Tomoe's condition is getting worse and worse. She can't stop
shaking, and she keeps mumbling the same words over and
over, I don't know if what's happening is anything
supernatural or not. But in any case, I think we'd better
leave as soon as possible.
Tomoe is in such bad shape, she can't even move. I guess
I'll have to look for a way out of here myself. Even if we
waited for help, I doubt anyone would ever come looking for
us...
Novelist Takamine's Notes 4-The Rope Shrine Maiden and Kirie
Sept 14th, 10:00 am
That woman that Tomoe called "Kirie" looks just like the
descriptions of the Rope Shrine Maiden in the legends. And
there's a strong resemblance, too, between the way Tomoe and
Ogata died and the manner of the deaths in the folklore.
So that woman is the Rope Shrine Maiden, is she...?
Novelist Takamine's Notes 5-Holy Mirror, mystery of the
mansion
Sept 14th, 8:00 pm
In the materials Tomoe gathered for me, there's a paragraph
about 5 pieces of mirror passed down through the Himuro
family for generations. These pieces were said to seal off
the Hell gate and protect the region from a great disaster.
They might have something to do with the current hellish
situation.
5 holy mirrors in shrines around the area all broke in a
small earthquake the other day. When I heard about it, it
gave me the idea for this next work of mine. I think I
brought a news article about it with me when I come here. It
says there were only 5 holy mirrors in existence.
But according to some legends, there is another--the True
Holy Mirror. The folklorist also mentions this in his
research documents, the one I found here in the mansion. (I
think I dropped the research when I was trying to escape
that cursed woman.)
Here are my theories. I think that the 5 mirrors that were
destroyed in the earthquake the other day had the role of
"watching over" the True Holy Mirror. I don't think it was
the earthquake that broke the 5 holy mirrors in the shrines.
I think it was the signal that the seal on the Hell gate
that the Himuro True Holy Mirror provides had broken for
some reason. The 5 mirrors were trying to warn us.
Novelist Takamine's Notes 6-Takamine's last hope
I'm about to go to the shrine deep within Himuro Mansion,
where they say a piece of the true holy mirror is kept. The
curse has already left its mark on my 4 limbs. There's no
escaping it. About the only thing left now that I can do is
try to reseal the Hell Gate. It's my last hope.
I've already found 4 of the Buddha statues I need to get a
piece of the mirror. And I've managed to find an old
document that tells of the location of the 5th statue.
"Make observance to the Buddha." At the base of the large
gate, "So that the souls of the piteous maidens," Can reach
up to the heavens."
If all goes well, no one will ever have to read these notes,
and I can use them towards the content of my next book. In
closing, I would like to thank my assistant and my partner,
Tomoe Hirasaka.
If it weren't for the words she left with me, I wouldn't
have been able to complete this, my final work. If I don't
return, please give her a decent burial.
Signed, Junsei Takamine,
Sept 15th
*Assistant Hirasaka's Notes*
Assistant Hirasaka's Notes 1-Existence of book about mansion
Aug 20th
It seems a folklorist named Ryozo Munakata was studying
about the various rituals passed down at Himuro Mansion. He
supposedly left a book of research, but I can't find it
anywhere. I wonder if there's a copy in a library somewhere?
Aug 30th
I still can't find the book. I'll have Koji Ogata from the
editing department do a search for it. I doubt he'll be able
to find it, though.
Assistant Hirasaka's Notes 2-Anxiety about Himuro assignment
Aug 27th
The more I find out about Himuro Mansion, the creepier it
gets. I'm sure it's the perfect subject matter for Mr.
Takamine's next book, but, to be perfectly honest, I don't
like this assignment one bit. It gives me a bad feeling...
There's no way I want to go to that mansion. But it's my
job, right? I guess I'll have to go. And I wouldn't want to
waste the chance to work with Mr. Takamine just because of a
little bit of uneasiness, either.
It doesn't help I have this 6th sense for the supernatural,
either. There's such as a thing as knowing TOO much,
sometimes...
Assistant Hirasaka's Notes 3-Seeing the woman in a white
kimono
Sept 10th, 8:00 pm
I clearly saw the image of a woman, in front of the mirror
near the entrance. She had long hair and a white kimono.
There were ropes to her arms and legs, and she dragged them
along when she walked. I think I heard Koji talk about
something like that too. There's something VERY wrong about
this mansion.
Assistant Hirasaka's Notes 4-The kimono woman's name
Sept 11th, 6:30 am
I saw that woman in the white kimono again. She knows I have
this special sense for ghostly things...The woman's name
is...Kirie. So, it's Kirie, huh? I shouldn't get any closer
than this. I don't want to get any closer...I'm scared.
Assistant Hirasaka's Notes 5-Looks like hallucinations she
had
Sept 12th, 1:45 pm
My 6th sense is telling me some children are playing here. I
can't see them, but they kept calling to me. Are they
playing tag? Or hide and seek, maybe? They might be the
children in that photo.
Sept 12th, 4:30 pm
There were human heads in that room...so many of them! They
were cut off by the Himuro family master...They were all
trying to tell me something. I never should have come here.
I should have trusted that 6th sense of mine.
Assistant Hirasaka's Notes 6-Looks like delirious nonsense
The mirror is breaking...Smash! A broken mirror...People on
the floor, all over the mansion. So many people. All those
people! What are they running from? And then at the end,
with such desperate looks on their faces...!
Something's coming this way! From deep within the
mansion...A coldness...It's colder than anything I've ever
felt! I don't know anymore if this is a dream or real...
Assistant Hirasaka's Notes 7-Wants to tell Takamine
something
A little girl in a white kimono keeps pleading to me. I
can't keep my mind focused, but her voice rings in my head
and won't leave. But what does she want me to do for her? I
can't even get out of this mansion anymore...
Broken. 5 pieces...The Mirror...! Tell Mr. Takamine......the
way to break the curse...
*Editor Ogata's Notes*
Editor Ogata's Notes 1-About folklorist that lived in
mansion
Aug 20th
Mr. Takamine needs some background material for his next
work. There's a book about Himuro Mansion by a certain
folklorist, and I'm supposed to look for it. A book about
Shinto rituals and legends from every part of the country.
Author: Ryozo Munakata.
Title:Unknown.
Aug 22nd
I can't find the book, but I did some checking on the
folklorist. I found out he moved into Himuro Mansion to do
research on it. But after some certain event. he and his
whole family disappeared. I couldn't find the book, but I
found a new article from that period about it. It's a small
missing-persons story, but it might be helpful as background
material.
Editor Ogata's Notes 2-Himuro Mansion and Takamine's next
work
Sept 10th, 11:00 am
It looks like the earthquake last month and the murders in
that village have something to do with Himuro Mansion. This
stuff is probably all going into Mr. Takamine's next book.
He really seems to be into this subject matter! His output
rate should be good.
Sept 10th, 4:00 pm
The entrance door is broken. When in the world did that
happen? It won't open. I'll have to find another way out.
Editor Ogata's Notes 3-He doesn't feel well
Sept 11th
I haven't been feeling well since 2 nights ago. Actually,
it's more like ever since Tomoe took my picture...What in
the world does the rope in this photo mean, I wonder?
Editor Ogata's Notes 4-Looks like delirious nonsense
Sept 12th
Now there's another rope! And another rope...!
Editor Ogata's Notes 5-Chart of numbers for mansion's
devices
Sept 10th, 1:10 pm
There seem to be a few devices in this mansion that are
engraved with old characters. When I asked Mr. Takamine
about them, he said they correspond to numbers. I understand
the first few. They're the old characters for the numbers 0
through 3. But I don't get the rest. They're characters that
have the same reading as 4 through 9, but means something
different.
"decoding kanji to numbers text"
I guess each one has a special meaning. I'll figure out the
rest later.
*White Tapes*
White Tape 1
Sept 9 5:40 pm
The mansion was nowhere to be seen on the map. So we finally
have to ask the locals how to find it. They told us that
Himuro Mansion has been empty for several decades now. The
same one who told us where it was also warns us not to come
here which is quite disconcerting.
White Tape 2
Sept 9 9:40 pm
It seem dangerous to walk into the mountain at night. So we
decided to spend the night here and continue our work. I've
been through several rooms already, unlike the exterior, the
interior is still in quite good shape. A little earlier, I
thought I saw the white shadowy figure of a woman in the
hallway near the entrance. I'll keep track of such sighting
and publish in my later account.
*Blue Tapes*
Blue Tape 1
Sept 12 3:20 pm
I know this sound crazy but there's something here besides
us in this mansion. I seen it myself. It was the woman in
the white kimono. Something is definitely happening here.
Have we unknowingly awaken something or perhaps we've been
lured here to die?
Blue Tape 2
Is she the one causing this disaster? All of those earlier
death, Koji, Tomoe, all of them, am I the next to die? The
rope shrine maiden ritual has told of the legend. both arms,
legs and neck, when said all 5 have been marked, the curse
has been complete. The rope has appeared on my photo, I'm
running out of time.
*Unknown Tape?*
Unknown Tape
Hey, hey, hey, if you're listening to this, you'll probably
die just like me. Who are you, what are you? The weird
distortion at the entrance has been awakened. All will be
appeased in the midth of time...Hahahahaha....the final
ritual will begin....*moaning of ghosts' voices*..
(Note from Coolmik: I don't know anything about this tape.
Hmm...)
*Red Tapes*
Red tape 1
Sept 10th 10:20 am
We discover some disturbing photos in the chests of drawer.
Could this be the folklore children mentioned in Koji's
notes? The photo is quite old and shows some kids playing
tags. In the corner of the photo, there is the faded image
of the young girl in white kimono. Her finger pointing this
way, and her eyes looks as though she was making some final
dedication.
Red Tape 2
Sept 11th 8:16 pm
We look all over the mansion but we still can't find Koji.
Well, true, that this mansion is huge, but certainly we
would have found him by now. Could he have left? He has been
saying more ropes, since yesterday.
Red Tape 3
Sept 12th 9 am
I found Koji. His death was just like the one in the
mountain village. His head was severe off. I can't believe
what was happening.
Red Tape 4
Since we met that girl, I've seen many strange visions. All
the ghosts in the mansion screams and howls at me. I think
they will never let me out of this mansion. I don't even
know how long I can hold on to my sanity. Anyway, I'm
leaving this tape. If ever someone listening to this, please
tell me what was happening to me. But still, I hope it was
just a dream.
----------------------------
----------------------------
VI. Theories
----------------------------
1. JuniperValkyrie's Theories
Fatal Frame: My Theories
Oh boy, where to begin? This game has a beautiful storyline,
and I
just want to analyze a few of those things that catch my
attention...
1. Kirie - Kirie is the "main bad guy" of the game. But is
she truly a bad guy? The answer, in my opinion, is no. Kirie
is much like a lamb at
Passover, she was raised to be sacrificed. But the
difference between Kirie and the lamb is that Kirie is a
human, a living and feeling human being. Not to mention
she's a woman. Kirie knew she was raised to die, but when
she fell in love she didn't want to die. That is why the
sacrifice didn't work.
I heard someone's theory that, "Ghosts don't know they are
dead, they think they are still living." Perhaps this is so
in Kirie's case. Maybe Kirie DOESN'T want to touch the
people that enter the mansion, maybe she only wants human
companionship....
2. Miku - Miku is fascinating to me, because it appears to
me that there
are few parts in the game where she is really scared. Miku
is extremely
brave, and the reason this counts as a theory? I don't know,
I just thought my opinion should get out there about her. I
think (and this is kinda far out) that Kirie and Miku are
someway psychically linked. This could be because of the
sixth sense, after all Tomoe could see her and hear her too,
but I don't think Tomoe ever saw child Kirie. I might be
wrong, I didn't like Tomoe that much so I didn't pay alot of
attention.
3. Family Master - This guy is scary, and pretty hard to
beat I might add. But anyways, is the Family Master really
that cruel for conducting the Rope Ritual and the Blind
Demon Ritual? Well the reason why this rituals were
conducted was to seal Hell's Gate. Now if you ask me, I
really don't want a bunch of demons and Malice running
around. Doesn't sound too fun. But I really don't know, my
opinion is no, he's not evil. The reason is being that if he
didn't perform the cruel rituals Malice would be released,
and even more deaths would follow. I believe that the Family
Master did what he had to do to keep all Hell from breaking
loose. But he is pretty evil after Malice touches him....
2. The Rope Ritual - Now this has to hurt. Just so you all
know, The Rope Ritual (in this game) is a ritual where a
chosen maiden is tied in five places, both wrists, both
ankles, and around the neck. She is pulled apart at all
limbs, but more then likely she is strangled to death first
(unless you can hold your breath long enough for your head
to pop off). I read somewhere that this rituals was original
done with oxen, but in our beloved game, it's done with
wheels. The Four Headless priests and the Family Master all
turn these wheels. And when the bloody deed is done, they
take the ropes, stained with blood, and tie them in front of
the Hell Gate. Normally, the maiden is brought up in
solitary confinement so she has no ties to the outside world
and wants to die. But in Kirie's case, she was tied down to
the outside world and she didn't want to die. So the
spiritual ropes weren't strong enough to keep the door shut,
and Malice escaped. I just thought I'd help to explain this
Ritual in depth, because I find it gruesomely fascinating.
3. The Blind Demon Ritual - The part of the game dealing
with the Blind
Demon ritual is what spooked me out the most, and also gave
me the most
questions. The cinema explaining the ritual showed a young
girl, held by
two priests in front of the Family Master. The Master held a
mask with
two spikes shoved into the eyes. He then thrust the mask on
the girl. Now in one of the ancient scrolls it says "In
preparation for the Strangling Ritual... Pick a maiden with
holy power..." So was the girl with her eyes poked out the
Rope Shrine Maiden? Apparently not. Kirie in the last scenes
is showed with her eyes intact. Even in her memories that
Miku has visions of, she still has her eyes. And don't
forget that Kirie writes diaries and meets Mafuyu with her
eyes. More then likely, I think this is a plot hole, or I
interpreted it wrong. My second, way out theory is that
Kirie doesn't want to be seen eyeless. This doesn't explain
the Mafuyu thing or the diaries, but maybe she did have her
eyes put out, but she doesn't want to remember it like that.
She envisions herself with her eyes. I don't know, I'm open
for suggestions.
~* JuniperValkyrie (Tabitha) *~
----------------------------
2. Allan C Cybulskie's Theories
(allan.c.cybulskie@sympatico.ca)
Theories:
1) The Girl in White is a result of the split in the soul
of Kirie as she was torn between her wanting to live and
wanting to die. My guess is that because part of her soul
wanted to live, it was possible for the Malice to corrupt it
(perhaps it just wasn't dedicated enough to the task of the
Rope Maiden, or perhaps it was simply bitter over the entire
turn of events). However, the part of her that was
dedicated was left untouched by the Malice, causing the
split in her. Thus, Kirie/Calamity wanders the house trying
to hurt people, while Kirie/Girl in White wanders the house
trying to break the curse. The Girl in White is younger
because it reverts to a time when Kirie understood her role
and was dedicated to the cause. It could also be that the
Girl in White is less powerful and the age reflects that.
2) The Blinding Ritual: It does not seem to be something
that was done TO a Rope Maiden, but something that had to be
done to prepare for the Rope Ritual. We know that Kirie was
not blinded because she saw the man she came to love from
the window, thus she could see. None of the other Rope
Maidens in the game were blinded. So this is not done to
the Rope Maiden, at least not normally. What was gained by
this ritual?
3) The camera: The holy mirror was placed in the camera by
the Girl In White and given to Mikoto. It drove Yae mad and
when Mikoto took it the one day she disappeared. She took
it with her out of the mansion and handed it down to her
daughter, and so it eventually got to Miku and Mafuyu. It
seems that Yae couldn't handle the camera, and so couldn't
break the curse, and Mikoto either wouldn't or couldn't do
it either, so it eventually came down to Miku and Mafuyu.
Now, for a wild theory here, the camera had to get to that
family because Mafuyu would be someone who would resemble
Kirie's former lover, and thus would distract/weaken
Kirie/Calamity enough for Miku to survive the mansion long
enough to defeat Kirie/Calamity. Kirie/Calamity does not
kill Miku outright, even though Mafuyu suggests that she
could probably do so (he wonders why she let him go).
Kirie/Calamity would be unlikely to kill Miku if Mafuyu
cared about her. At the end, the Malice and the part of the
soul that wanted to live would both want to eliminate Miku
as a threat, thus the final fight is not unbelievable.
4) The folklorist: Mafuyu suggests that he was drawn to
the mansion. It is possible that the folklorist was drawn
to study the story of the mansion so that the camera could
be created and "given" to the right family. Takamine would
then also be drawn to the story of the mansion so that
Mafuyu would either go along or be drawn there after his
mentor, thus setting up Miku to follow him. So was it the
Girl in White who did this? Was it destiny? Just how
powerful are these things, anyway?
----------------------------
3. David's Theories (blankpage0000@cox.net)
I think that Mikoto Munakata is Miku's grandmother. The name
of the man who adopted her has the same last name as Miku.
And seeing that the camera that Yae found was given to
Mafuyu by his mother....well, you get the point.(The info
about the adoption was in a Old News Article) Also, I think
that Kirie may be mistaking Mafuyu as her lost lover. I
think that is why he was kidnapped but not killed. Since
Mafuyu is sisters with Miku, I think Kirie is only slowly
killing her because of that bond. (I say slowly killing her
because of the ropes that appear on a different part of her
body after every night, and the attacks that don't end up
killing her) I believe that at the beginning of the fourth
night, she awakes with a rope around her neck. If she
doesn't get out before the fifth night, she's dead.
----------------------------
4. Grace Ng's Theories (missygee57@hotmail.com)
Mikoto was adopted by the Hinasaki's and therefore her name
would be "Mikoto Hinasaki". She...produced a daughter named
"Miyuki Hinasaki". How is THAT possible? Unless Mikoto
married someone from that family to keep her surname.
AND...Miyuki produces 2 offspring with Hinasaki surnames.
How is THAT possible? Unless Miyuki marries within the
family as well. Maybe that's why their bloodlines has such a
strong sixth sense?
----------------------------
----------------------------
VII. E-Mail Questions
----------------------------
Allan C Cybulskie's Questions
(allan.c.cybulskie@sympatico.ca)
1) I have an idea of who most of the ghosts are, but who was
the Wandering Monk? Someone who participated in the
rituals? Someone who came to try to lift the curse and
failed?
Answer: Anyone have an answer?
2) Is there any reason why Mafuyu resembled so closely
Kirie's lost love?
Answer: Anyone have an answer?
3) Did the power to see spirits come from something in
Hinasaki family, or from their possession of the camera with
the mirror? Miku implies that she didn't see things anymore
after the events in the mansion and the freeing of the
spirits. Was this because the camera is no more? Yae
implies that she first started to see the spirits with the
camera, and then developed the ability to see them without
it. Or was the gift a family trait that either was lost
because of the events in the mansion (for Miku, at least)
and will appear in her children again, or was it a family
trait that was developed solely to deal with this thing? If
it was because of the camera, why did the assistant also
have it? If it was not, then why does Miku no longer see
them after the game?
Answer: Maybe because the spirits souls were at peace at the
end of the game. There is no use for them to haunt anyone
anymore.
----------------------------
VIII. All Together Plot Analysis
----------------------------
*Coming Next Version*
----------------------------
----------------------------
IX. Afterwords
----------------------------
Coolmik: Well, that's the Plot Analysis! I hope that it
helped at least one person! I'm here to remind everyone
again that this is based on the 3rd Night. If you have
information about the 4th Night, please e-mail us the info!
You WILL be added to the Credits Section. Thank you for
reading the whole FAQ. Plus if you have any questions or
comments, please e-mail me at Coolmik@animespider.com
PeckingBird:
----------------------------
----------------------------
X. Credits
----------------------------
Coolmik: One of the two authors that bring you this Plot
Analysis.
PeckingBird: The second author that supplied all of the In-
game Notes/Files.
JuniperValkyrie: A supplier of the first theory. Thanks!
This may help some people as well as share what you think!
Allan C Cybulskie: Added lots of information, made his own
theories, AND asked questions! Thanks a bunch!
David: Made some theories that might have cleared some
stuff up!
Grace Ng: Stated some questions that can be answered!
KrillinVegeta: Helped with some of the controls!
LarethRackeon: Added some combined information and also the
location of Koji Ogata's body!
----------------------------
~*This document is © Coolmik & PeckingBird*~ 2002
