Say It In Red

The Podcast version of hanging out with ghosts in a haunted parlor, but like really chill and the ghosts are talking to you about Visual and Kinetic Novels! Join Runa and Sara as they read and discuss games like Higurashi, Umineko, Kindred Spirits on the Roof, Heart of the Woods, and a lot of other VNs. We break down the mystery elements of the stories we read, talk about the implications of ghosts and magic and the tech apocalypse, and swoon every time a handsome woman shows up on screen. For the most part this podcast is entirely safe to listen to around friends and family and co-workers *except* for the moments when we talk about dismemberment or murders since that comes up in some of these games - we'll give you a heads up whenever things like that are on an episode and when we're about to start talking about them in the show!You can follow us on twitter at sayitinredpod and check out our patreon at https://www.patreon.com/SayItInRed for even more content and features!

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Say It In Red

Say it in Red Episode 77: Higanbana no Saku Yoru Ni

May 29, 2026 • Say It In Red cast

0:00 | 2:33:44

A warm summer breeze ruffles the papers on your desk and nearly scatters them to the floor. They remain, however, and you slouch in relief... if you had to reach out and stop your notes from flying through that open window, you might pass out from the effort. The humid air and the faint buzz of insects withers your strength, though not so much as your teacher's repeated explanations of geometric proofs. Suddenly the teacher stops, slams their chalk against the wall, and announces a pop quiz – 'Since you all seem so bored with this material, I assume you must be experts already!' What a cruel thing to say to a class full of overheated, weary teenagers. Your savior arrives, however, as the Westminster chimes sound off and signal the end of class, the end of the school day, and the end of this nightmare you've had each and every night since you graduated.

This month, Sara and Runa talk about both volumes of 07th Expansions Higanbana no Saku Yoru Ni (2011). As an anthology of school horror and ghost stories, Higanbana doesn't follow a single narrative arc throughout each volume so much as it introduces us to characters and concepts that the game explores through each of its chapters. School bullying, the physical and sexual abuse of students, suicidal ideation, stalking, animal cruelty, and grief are among Higanbana's main concerns and in general, all of these subjects are treated with a great deal of care and nuance.

In a truly massive school filled with ghost stories, gossip, and legends, a group of powerful youkai hold court and hunt the souls of the humans who pass through their halls. The game begins with the story of Marie Moriya and follows the brutal abuse she suffers at the hands of a teacher, leading to her eventual death and then rebirth as the new youkai, mesomeso-san. She soon encounters Higanbana, the youkai of the school's infirmary, and throughout the rest of the game the two of them clash with other youkai (as well as one another) and witness the struggles of the students around them. Sometimes a comedic ghost story, sometimes an anti-bullying PSA, and sometimes a supernatural battle action series, Higanbana is, above all else, a story about the existential uncertainty and turmoil of being a Teen.

As always, if you enjoy our show please consider writing us a review on your podcast platform of choice! You can always support us directly on Patreon at patreon.com/sayitinred where you will get access to all of our bonus episodes past and present, including our most recent bonus episode in which Sara and Runa talk about the Gnosia anime adaptation!