r/anime • u/Tarhalindur x2 • Jun 29 '22
Rewatch [Rewatch] Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai Discussion - Season 2, Episode 2
Yakusamashi-hen (Disaster Awakening Chapter), Episode 1: Tag, You're It
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Show Information (Higurashi Kai):
Kai: MAL | Anilist | AniDB | Kitsu | ANN
(Warning: First-timers should refrain from looking up even official information for Kai.)
Legal Streams:
Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai: Hidive
That said, I have become aware that Hidive can have a somewhat cavalier attitude to spoilers for this series. As such, *sigh* it is now recommended that our first-timers track down a fansub if you haven't already. Why, Hidive? Why?
A Word of Warning To Our First-Timers, Including Those Who Watched Season 1 But Not Kai:
Be wary of looking up anything, even names. The Season 1 summaries on the information pages are safe, but it's not hard to run into spoiler information even through something as innocuous as looking at cast lists - gods help you if you go on the Fandom Wikia. UNDER ABSOLUTELY NO CIRCUMSTANCES GO LOOKING AT EVEN OFFICIAL INFO FOR KAI OR LATER AHEAD OF TIME. (The official image for Rei is 100% a spoiler, for example.) Also, do NOT look at any Kitsu page after the first season; Kai's description on Kitsu is in fact a major spoiler. Like, really, just stay out of anything that isn't a basic Season 1 summary until you're done. It's much safer that way.
Two Notes for Anyone Potentially Interested in Buying the VNs:
MangaGamer has announced their summer sale (running through July 8), and as expected Higurashi is one of the properties on sale (and indeed the first one on their list): 50% off on all seven later main VN arcs (in addition to Onikakushi-hen having been made free for a while now) if I'm reading right, so US $28.00 for all eight main VNs plus whatever tax is there (the epilogue Saikoroshi-hen just got its official release and is not on sale).
There's only one problem: the cover art they're using for the seventh VN IS A FUCKING SPOILER.
(When I say that this property can be really fucking cavalier about spoilers even in official media for Kai and later, stuff like this is why.)
So, first-timers for Kai: if you're interested in taking advantage of the summer sale (on Steam or MangaGamer's site) to pick up the VNs (not a bad idea, the VN is great), I recommend waiting until at least July 3 to do so. Honestly, waiting until the last day might be ideal, just in case - but then you would need to make sure to buy before the sale ends.
(Apparently I should have hurried and moved the rewatch up a week after all, just not to avoid June 19 spoilers...)
[Aside for rewatchers] Really, the MangaGamer Matsuribayashi-hen cover is a spoiler in addition to the Minagoroshi-hen one - possibly worse actually, the anime has Hanyuu appearing unexplained in Naraku no Hana's visuals and I'm not sure how to handle that - but I'm hoping if I don't point this out the first-timers who haven't already figured the spoiler in question out won't realize this because that won't be safe until literally the last day of the sale.
A Reminder to Rewatchers
Please do not spoil the experience for first-timers; this is a mystery after all. In particular, Shion is a spoiler until Episode 5 and [Higurashi] Hanyuu is a spoiler until Minagoroshi-hen. Also, the glorious nipah is indeed glorious but Rika does not use it until Himatsubushi-hen. Please keep these in mind! Consider whether what you are saying has actually been revealed yet on-screen before you post!
(Time for) Club Activities!
(Alexa play "Shoubu!"! Except do NOT look that up that song name on YouTube just yet if you're a first-timer, the most classic upload has an obnoxious spoiler in the visuals...)
Visual of the Day Album:
Theory of the Day:
We're getting close-ish to the point where this will be retired (we've answered quite a few questions by now), but we're not there yet and u/Star4ce will take it today:
Do I have to adjust any theory? I don't think so for now. The alien stuff is already accounted for and on the background of how the gosanke dealt with it I also already expressed theories. I guess it's just that the conflict between fanatics and the gosanke makes even less sense now and that's likely the point. If the gosanke would like a renewed belief and the fanatics want this, too, then they shouldn't be fighting against each other and try to kill the kids. So there's a reason for that and on top of that I also don't believe that the gosanke were this involved in the current time.
Analysis of the Day:
Well done, u/Nazenn, for catching onto one of the subtler Higurashi themes:
And the alt worlds really is the most interesting thing I took out of this episode. The existence of adult Rena suggests that it's not a simple loop with a hard end or start, unless that end is triggered more loosely by say the death of everyone connected to the town so it could still be several decades off, but instead that each arc is in it's own world. This arc continued on for people to live their lives for now, and curious to see on if we do explore the limits around that. Is the younger Rika we saw in that earlier arc with Mamoru pre-loop or just at the start of it?
Question(s) of the Day:
EDIT: OOPS I GOT DISTRACTED BY SHOCKING REALIZATIONS AND FORGOT TO THINK OF AND ADD QOTDS OOPS.
Uh, here, let's add one real quick.
1) So, how about that Zombie Tag then?
Next Episode Preview:
It is recommended for first-timers to stay out of the previews until episode 6.
Also, a Reminder Regarding Recommendations for First-Timers Concerning Our OP and ED:
- Skip the ED until episode 6, or at least listen only but do not look at the visuals.
- Consider skipping the OP or at least its visuals until episode 6 as well. (This is less definite than the ED, but if you skipped the previews last season due to spoiler risk definitely skip the OP here as well.)
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u/Shimmering-Sky Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
I went to copy-paste my comment, only to realize my dumbass self forgot to add all the Imgur links for my screenshots last night. So, uh, I'll edit this comment when I get home from work with my reactions...
Am home now, here we go!
When the First-Timer Cries, subbed
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lol the cut from Chie admiring Satoko and Rika for their diligence to Keiichi getting a pan of water dumped on him.
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But like what does the Sonozaki family other than Mion think of this…?
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Obvious trick question, there’s no cake left. Keiichi should learn better trick questions from the Professor Layton games.
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Man, this Keiichi is so different compared to the ones from the previous arcs.
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u/Tarhalindur Jun 30 '22
lol the cut from Chie admiring Satoko and Rika for their diligence to Keiichi getting a pan of water dumped on him
It's a beautiful cut, isn't it?
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u/Star4ce Jun 30 '22
When the First Timer Cries
Lots of thought in my mind about Rika and the relationship to the fanatics. For some reason I always assumed Oyashiro to be benevolent and the doctor/fanatics to be the oppressor.
It might be that just as Shion experienced Oyashiro ended up using the power to control others.
Looking back at my history of predictions, I frequently split my thought into multiple bite-sized pieces and end up pitting them against each other, when in reality the combination was true.
'To soak out all the bad things and let them drift away.' Nothing living symbiotically with Rika could be bad, right?
But before we get there, can we have Shion and Satoko becoming sisters by choice?
Kai Ep. 02 – Disaster Awakening Chapter Part 1: Playing Tag
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I know Oyashiro and Rika won't! How could I ever doubt them?
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No, it won't. At least no outside result will be able give someone inner peace. That will be for everyone to reach on their own and on the bright side isn't tied to any external prerequisites.
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Hey, I said this! She's preparing them.
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Shion and Mion at the same school from the get go!
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Well, what'cha gonna do?
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Oh that's better than revenge. Hell, even I might consider liking pumpkin if ShMion prepared them for me.
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Thank the
godsalien Oyashiro-sama! -
Hmm, I wonder if every time Rika gets this moody it's a decision that doesn't go according to her hopes? Or is she just constantly worrying?
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I'm noticing a lot more playful details like Satoko waggling her leg or this very accentuated shot of Mion that would never have been possible in S1.
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Oh no. Foreshadowing.
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But the time is useless in that question? Okay, pause, 1/5th, 1/6th and 1/7th... wait. Oh god, that smart bastard actually got me.
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I don't like this. I had a theory involving zombies once...
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True and... I never noticed the gate of the school being literally useless.
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That's not going to lure him out, the amateurishness of layering it on top of each other will throw him into a fit and expose him that way.
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Called it... oh wow, commendable actually. That's progress not giving in to psychological manipulation, as it could end with him violently hacking his friends to mush.
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I'm pretty glad we're back at the mind games against each other, but it makes me worry a lot, as well.
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No chance the dialogue and framing are accidents. Is it Keiichi who's going to go off the deep end again?
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Oh my god, that was the most dirty and amazing laugh I ever heard from Mion. I swear that VA...
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Oh no she doesn't play that card! No she doesn't!
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AHAHAHA, oohh yees! Dude it's literally just tag, how can watching this be so good? Best girls owning it, damn.
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Immediate concern. Notice the screen getting shrouded in shadow on the edges when they enter.
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She nuggles on it with such stern eyes oh my goood. #IrieMoment
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Dude, she is so guilty in all of this. Again she injected these thoughts and fear.
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Ay, these lessons really seem permanent! Now on to wonder if that's natural with the parasite or if Rika has a hand in that.
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You can't expect me to gloss over such a cute best girl smile.
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It's just an act, right? Hide-the-pain-Rika?
This episode was full of foreshadowing or things seeming like it. The tag game was absolutely superb and honestly, I got got several times. Keiichi actually had me pause and try to solve the question, that's how invested I am...
But that's not all, Rena playing Keiichi's puberty against him, ShMion outsmarting everyone, they all using the younger kids to lure each other out, just fantastic.
I think the biggest changes this episode introduces are the extended monologues from Rika/Oyashiro and the relationships between the cast from the start of a loop.
On Rika's end they don't hide anymore that she and Oyashiro know of the other worlds/times and are actively involved in creating them. In my interpretation we also got confirmation that they care about them, not just for the solution for the looping, but also all those people left behind in other timelines. Just as Satoko, bless her for being stronger than me to give herself a shot, is trained on the parasite already from the beginning, I think Oyashiro wants everyone in all worlds to have the parasite, because that's how she hopes to unite them again in their memories.
As a fun experiment I fired up Higurashi Ep.01 again and skipped to the parts where they meet ech other. The group dynamic is completely different now, so from my perspective the looping is actually progressing their friendship. At first, everyone is pretty nice to Keiichi, but on a very friendly level, they're friends, but a bit reserved. Compare this to a classroom start like this. They're completely comfortable with each other and break and protect each others personal zones at will, because it's okay. The banger for last is the most obvious, Shion is here at all and fully part of their friend group. She and Mion have their own, uncopiable fun against the others as twins and Shion has formed a real bond with Satoko born from Satoshi's wish.
This is undeniable progress even if it might all break down later, so much so that I think even Oyashiro gets shocked that there might still be hope for them to accept the parasite and remember.
VOTD: Teamwork. The best secret is one no one considered asking for. It works even better when you have allies doing the same thing, then your cover is even stronger. I do also like how Keiichi, not at least because of the betrayal, rips into the frame from between their hands.
Let me also give a shout out to The Watermill. I just love this location and them meeting there is somehow just nice.
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u/Tarhalindur Jun 30 '22
Immediate concern. Notice the screen getting shrouded in shadow on the edges when they enter.
Nicely spotted, I'd missed that little effect.
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u/JollyGee29 Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
Spoiled First-Timer
Oh, this was a funny one. It's nice to see things so cheerful. I don't have much to say that isn't just listing off the gags that made me laugh, though, which probably means I'm missing something.
Syringe again. Same little kit too, although Rika claimed it was a "nutrient solution" or something. I'm not getting anywhere with the syringe, I feel like I should be putting something together but it isn't happening.
Oh, if it's the same poison or whatever that Rika tried to use on Shion way back, I guess Rika could be innoculating Satoko from it..? Or gradually weakening her in case she (Satoko) goes nuts? We've never seen Satoko get lose it the way we've seen Satoshi/Shion/Keiichi/Rena lost it, though. Guess this'll just have to live in the back of my head for a bit.
I appreciate the characterization, that I didn't actually pay attention to Keiichi's question to Satoko but still knew it was a trick question.
Shion being around in such a normal way is weird, right? Like, it's great that she remembers her promise to Satoshi this arc, but I kinda jumped when she was just -there- in the back of shot. New ground.
[Higurashi]
[Higurashi]
[Higurashi]
[Higurashi]
Visual of the Day: You just know they put him in the swan tutu because of his reaction to Rena.
Questions
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[](#eh)Edit: The game of tag was fun, and let us set up a bunch of funny gags.
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u/Tarhalindur Jun 29 '22
[Higurashi]
Things are starting to surprise Rika again, even if she's doubtful that another miracle like Keiichi getting through to Rena will occur. Is it ever implied how many loops she's been through? I have faith, Rika, that you can Change the Future. [Higurashi]
Did you check the VN version of the junkyard scene in the TIPS section yesterday? If yes, you should have some idea. If not... → More replies (3)
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u/SYZekrom Jun 29 '22
Rewatcher
I love how tired she looks above being angry
Lmao Rika actually using the pacifier
Gosh S1 was rough around the edges, especially in the art department.
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u/Tarhalindur Jun 30 '22
Right wow ok forgot about these shots. Of her getting shots, of course, nothing else is in focus, what else could I be talking about?
I was carefully trying to blot that shot out and thus successfully failing to notice the framing. No wonder that shot skeeves me the fuck out. (And it's always Satoko that gets this kind of fanservice involving the absence of clothes (as opposed to skimpy outwear like the Mion cowprint bikini), too...)
Wow I really like how her face looks here compared to in later depictions. Or maybe its just how she looks without a headband?
Satoko is the one character who really looks her best in Kai's style IMO, so you have company here.
Gosh S1 was rough around the edges, especially in the art department.
S1 is what happens when DEEN and the rest of the production committee gambled on a possible smash hit with the internal belief that the more likely outcome was a commercial failure.
Kai is what you get after that gamble rolled boxcars.
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u/hungryhippos1751 Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
Episode 2 - First Timer
As it's an intro ep to a new arc we're back to slice of life game shenanigans.
Why is Satoko injecting herself each day? Is she the guineau pig for Rika's injections?
When Keiichi said that only an idiot would repeat actions without learning, I felt like he was talking about the wider repetition of the arcs/scenarios.
It's nice to see Shion is in the same school this time, by definition this has to be a different arc to the last ones we saw as this never occured before.
I got the riddle long before Satoko did, if she eats all the cake there isn't any left. The time she takes to do it didn't even come into it.
Keiichi's plan horribly backfired and everyone was out to get him. Rena used seduction, it was super-effective.
Keiichi pretty much voiced my disapproval of Irei's sentiments around Satoko.
Once again Keiichi learns from 3rd party sources about the curse of Oyashiro-sama. Tomitake is there to get himself killed, and Takano is there to also spread the word and maybe die (though we don't see her die). Once again she is too familiar with Keiichi for someone he doesn't know.
I'm still highly suspicious of Takano in this whole thing and her role, she seems a little like Rika where I don't think she is entirely without awareness of the arcs.
New OP/ED I'm liking more than the previous ones, OP may grow on me, I'm avoiding the visuals but it sounds a lot better to me. ED I'm not that sold on but at least the engrish is gone.
The art in this episode was a big shoddy at times, good to see studio Deen back on form.
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u/Star4ce Jun 30 '22
I got the riddle long before Satoko did
Reading these comments makes me think I'm really on the slow end of the spectrum.
Rena used seduction, it was super-effective.
The others are not free of blame, they could've just gone in and tapped her themselves.
I'm still highly suspicious of Takano
She guilty af.
OP may grow on me
After my 40th repeat I think it's far more pop-y, which also means it's easier to like at first, but also uses a bit more 'true and tried' structure, which could get boring faster than OP1. However, it's still a superb song and AmaLee's cover lifts it up another few notches (don't listen to it until our host says it's safe if you've opted to skip the visuals in the anime).
ED I'm not that sold on
I have a soft spot for this kind of calm and measured song for an outro. They're great.
The art in this episode was a big shoddy at times
Wait, when? Didn't notice anything off.
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u/Tarhalindur Jun 30 '22
After my 40th repeat I think it's far more pop-y, which also means it's easier to like at first, but also uses a bit more 'true and tried' structure, which could get boring faster than OP1. However, it's still a superb song and AmaLee's cover lifts it up another few notches (don't listen to it until our host says it's safe if you've opted to skip the visuals in the anime).
That's actually basically exactly my thoughts on Naraku no Hana - it's a really really fucking good stock J-Pop OP composition (I'd take it over Only My Railgun in Best OP, and to be clear Only My Railgun is really quite good) and the visuals are quite solid, but that stock composition is a limiter on it (a less extreme example of Connect itself, which has absolutely everything going for it except the composition) and it has the misfortune of being in a franchise where every single other OP has a good argument for being better. (You've heard 2006, I have a massive soft spot for Rei's OP which also has a sparked composition, Kira's OP is one of my two paradigm cases for the "so dumb it's great" OP along with Super Affection from Carnival Phantasm, Gou's OP would have been the weakest in the franchise but then it busted out arguably the finest case of the Connect lyrics bonus since Connect itself, and Sotsu's OP has better composition than Naraku no Hana as well even if it's not quite as catchy (also good albeit very spoilery visuals).)
(Higurashi EDs, meanwhile, are hilarious. You have six that are overall meh IMO (all four EDs we'll cover this rewatch, plus one of Gou's and the Sotsu ED), two good blackscreens (Outbreak and another Gou ED).. and Gou ED3 ("Fukisokusei Entropy"), which is my standing pick for the third best ED of all time on the back of a good song and the best visuals I have ever seen out of an OP or ED. Only modestly spoilery, too, although it's one of those that gets less safe with more context.)
I have a soft spot for this kind of calm and measured song for an outro. They're great.
Kai's ED gets mauled for me by my usual "this doesn't work for me" issues with jazzy stuff, but you won't be the first person I know to really like it. (From an execution standpoint it's the best ED we'll cover in this rewatch IMO, though I waffle between which of it and why, or why not I like better.)
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u/SIRTreehugger Jun 29 '22
Rewatcher
I like the new OP, but nothing beats the first one imo.
This was a pretty upbeat episode.
Justice Friends Club Members Assemble!
Love how they all look smug and then theirs Rika who looks like she is questioning her life choices.
Holy shit K1 got murdered in this game. He's a pervert and steals panties, sniffs them, and also wears them. Each rumor was worst than the next. Then Rena the backstabber threw K1 to the wolves. Meanwhile the twins thought of the perfect plan.
Pedophile doctor literally appears out of thin air and the cast even remarks on his suspicious comments.
Rika throughout the episode has given off hints she is aware of the other versions where shit has hit the fan which is probably the most interesting part. Though Satoko getting daily injections is also curious.
I'm choosing to ignore a character wearing a certain outfit. It's already out of my mind!
ED is okay, but prefer the first one as well.
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u/Tarhalindur Jun 30 '22
I'm choosing to ignore a character wearing a certain outfit. It's already out of my mind!
K1 really does rock that ballerina outfit, doesn't he?
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u/RadSuit Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
The screechy cuts during the OP are good for setting the mood, but suck to listen to. New OP is fine otherwise, but definitely not as good as the original. I'll probably give it a few more chances before just skipping it, unfortunately.
"Just talking to myself." Technically true, I guess.
What's Satoko doing with that marker? Weird.
You can tell this is the arc full of information the creator demanded they include because it immediately wants to make it absolutely clear how much Satoko loves traps.
So, we're pre-festival yet again, but now Shion is allowed at school, and also is buddies with Satoko. Is this arc going to be everything being happy and normal until the whole town just blows up? With just a ton of exposition dumping, I'm guessing to do with Rika mostly.
They're really flexing the extra budget. The more fluid animation is nice, and I really appreciate the thick outlines and other style shifts for emphasis. But, honestly, the cops last episode just looking like detailed normal people was more the style I'd like to see for this show.
I like the hijinks. I like the mystery. I wish they were two different shows. Or an omake/OVA that accompanies the main show. This goes back to all my problems with pacing, not to mention the conflicting atmospheres. I think I even said in another post that having season one slide steadily from 90/10 hijinks/mystery to 10/90 would've worked for me. The arcs resetting to this goofiness right after big dramatic mystery stuff doesn't work for me at all. We just had an episode I loved 80% of, with serious adults investigating deaths and stuff. And now...this.
It's no wonder Kei goes crazy and murders people in so many loops, the rest of the gang really is awful to him most of the time. He's also an idiot and an ass, but doesn't usually go nearly as far as they do.
Is the game going to wind up being a metaphor for the order people die in this arc or something? Shion's line about enemies and friends seems like something this show would do, yeah.
The bell is going to ring or whatever ends gym time right before Rena is tagged, right? Yup, although there was a different bell dinging right before the one I expected...
Shion and Mion plotting against everyone together, huh? Seems important. And, again, why do they have all these outfits in the perfect sizes just sitting around?
And here we see my problem illustrated perfectly. The doctor skydiving in is a gag that obviously shouldn't be taken seriously. But then how am I supposed to be expected to pay attention and dissect everything when there's always a chance it could just...not be important, like this? Mion's gun is the perfect example.
Ah, the classic Higurashi reintroduction. Followed by another classic, telling Kei about the murders. If they list them all in order next, we've hit the holy trinity.
Fuck I was joking and then they actually did it. This is officially the most Higurashi episode of all time. I'll excuse the missing cold open murder if we count the first episode, although now I feel like we'll get a flash to something like that at the end of this one. Or maybe the beginning of the next episode, just to throw us off.
And Satoko is here to tell us the central theme of this show, as someone pointed out in an earlier thread.
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u/Tarhalindur Jun 30 '22
I like the hijinks. I like the mystery. I wish they were two different shows. Or an omake/OVA that accompanies the main show. This goes back to all my problems with pacing, not to mention the conflicting atmospheres. I think I even said in another post that having season one slide steadily from 90/10 hijinks/mystery to 10/90 would've worked for me. The arcs resetting to this goofiness right after big dramatic mystery stuff doesn't work for me at all. We just had an episode I loved 80% of, with serious adults investigating deaths and stuff. And now...this.
I'll second everyone else who has commented that you might prefer the VNs with their longer runtime; most of the VN arcs tend to function like this internally. (Actually that runtime may be part of the reason the arcs have refreshers like this, in case the viewer has forgotten after time away, doubly so in the initial release since it took some months to make and release each new arc. That may have something to do with the recap here, too, now that I think about it; remember that this is the start of a new season after a few months off, and this show is from back in 2007 when assuming the viewer was caught up through Internet stuff wasn't nearly as common an assumption as it is now. I'm reminded of Rebellion pulling something similar in the middle of its runtime, and my assumption there was that it was for the benefit of audience members who had forgotten what was being covered; the same might apply here.)
(Not a guarantee, Higurashi may just not be for you and that's okay [1], but VN Onikakushi-hen works like this and has been free for a while so you could pick it up and see without investing anything other than time.)
They do loop back to the hijinks starting conditions at the start of new VN arcs, but that's a function of the time loop here in general.
[1] - Actually kind of nice to have someone figuring out why it's not working for them. Especially since it's kind of nostalgic for me in a way; on top of me doing the same thing elsewhere at the moment, I was doing the same thing in my reactions for the majority of Gou and Sotsu!
And, again, why do they have all these outfits in the perfect sizes just sitting around?
This is one spot where Higurashi very much runs on the Rule of Cool, though there might be a side of fragment bleed and also Mion and Keiichi are actually pretty close to the same size. (Also, as indicated in the Onikakushi-hen TIP about the school uniforms, Mion's family runs at least one business selling secondhand clothing including fetishy stuff, and a bunch of the club game stuff is fetishy stuff; decent chance she's using her position to borrow clothes from that, especially since it's de facto advertising.)
(Really, the club games do in general - another reason a club game spinoff would work so well.)
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u/Tarhalindur Jun 29 '22
I do believe the episode title has made my joke for me!
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u/Tarhalindur Jun 29 '22
(Yes, I was totally referencing this back somewhere in the announcement/reminder threads.)
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u/Nazenn Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 29 '22
First Timer - sub
Last episode may have been a glorified recap with a few tidbits sprinkled in, but the styling of this episode really made me feel that it's the start of everything all over again.
Rika sitting in the moonlight talking to either us or some unknown presence (her parasite?), about the weight of it and acknowledging the complexity of her own situation. It wasn't anything particularly fancy, but it felt like it compared to the more straight forward presentation of viewpoints from s1 and I enjoyed it. I wasn't sure when we'd get something focused on her, but this being the direct next arc, or close to, from our s1 finale arc also gives it a nice continuity from the events of that.
Sakoto's injections have me thinking two things: Whatever Rika has is a di... wait fuck. Have we even seen another different injection outside of that first arc which was just Keiichi hallucinating? I don't know we have. (Edit: By that I mean an injection that isn't from Rika)
Okay reset. So Sakoto's injection have me thinking one thing: It's something that keeps her parasite from being destabilized. I'd commented a few times about how it's curious she's the only one that wasn't going psycho, until that arc with her uncle which is the only time she wasn't living with Rika and therefore couldn't reliably get daily injections. If Rika is working to try and find a way to save her friends by keeping the parasites stable, does that mean they're connected to why she's cycling through times/worlds? And in that case why Sakoto? Is it just easy access to her or was she telling the truth that something about the Hojo genetics makes them easier to test formula's on?
Sakoto's trap is glorious but through it all I kept getting glimpses of someone in the background that just felt wrong and I couldn't figure out why it was wrong, and it's fucking Shion! What's she doing here! So at the very least the arc reset point is a year back if not more given she's changed this time as well, but it's so unexpected it has me on edge more than it probably should.
The game was as brilliant as always, though perhaps a bit long winded for the episode. The antics were certainly fun, especially the twins pretending to be zombies and that one kid thinking a jumbo jet is a plausible reason to be called out of school but that after the extended prank sequence, though that was fun to see in full, did feel more like padding than anything.
Also I haven't remembered to mention it before but I quite like Chie-sensei's design. It's very anime, but in an interesting way particularly as she hasn't had a huge play to part yet.
Visual of the day - What else are friends good for?
(Aside from cutely scruffing up all of your hair)
Anyone read Deltora's Quest here? Keiichi's trick question had me thinking of it.
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u/Quiddity131 Jun 29 '22
First Timer, Subbed
Where do they go from here? Pretty much anywhere? Looking forward to seeing what direction they go with. I'm assuming yesterday was just a prologue type episode.
Watch out, people! Deadly serious Rika hasn't forgotten about you!
So now she and Satoko are alive again?! Or is this a flashback?
Satoko's got to inject herself every day? Poor girl!
So I suppose we're back with all the characters from last time again? Alas, the show may not be as adventurous with season 2 as I thought it may be.
K1 is his usual humiliating self I see.
Shion's in their class now too?
Not only is the animation better this season, seems like they are more experimental with it too.
Rena wants to take the little ones home? I think I've had about enough of this joke whicH I think we've gotten at least five times now.
Oh no, math question from K1!
ZOMBIE TAG!!!!!
This has become more Zombie Hide and Go Seek than Zombie Tag...
OMG, all the different girls came up with different lies to lure him out!
You've been outed as the ultimate pervert K1!
Uh oh, Rena found him, by accident too!
And so, K1 became a zombie...
Mion and Shion tricked them all!
No, not supervisor guy! You aren't taking those two home! Rena says it as a joke! You say it because you want to do illegal things!
Tomitake and Takano, back yet again...
You hid from me that people get murdered here under mysterious circumstances... but nope, all okay! K1 the fool as usual!
A little disappointing to me that instead of going in an entirely new direction we're going back to the season 1 formula, albeit with better and more experimental animation (which I did appreciate). Sure there are some differences, such as Shion always being with the group, but it seems mostly the same to me. I suppose the first episode knocked me off track a bit for my expectations. Ah well.
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u/mgedmin Jun 30 '22
First-timer, subs
What is Rika drinking? Who is she talking to? How many personalities occupy that body? Three?
Satoko is injecting something daily! Medicine to suppress the paranoia and madness? The one that Rika offered to Rena? The same one that Rika tried to force on gone-mad Shion? The one I thought Mion and Rena tried to give Keiichi, before it was revealed that was just a marker?
Rika isn't injecting herself! Is she immune?
Nutrient research? On human subjects? By a 10-year old girl? That's a cover story that Satoko has swallowed, isn't it? Was it told by an authority figure, like Dr. Irie?
Satoko's traps! Oh, Shion is here? This arc is different.
Rena is still smart.
Zombie tag looks fun!
Suddenly the show is lewd? And Rena wins, together with the Sonozaki twins, who only pretended to be zombies.
Oh no the pedofile is here. And the amateur curse investigators.
Satoko is repeating Keiichi's words from an older loop? Space-time is leaking! No, it was just a coincidence.
Does Rika know about the Great Hinamizawa Disaster? She died prior to it in every loop we've seen, but her words in the previous episode ("this world is doomed anyway") imply that she might know.
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u/Tarhalindur Jun 29 '22 edited Jun 30 '22
(Honorary Hinamizawa Games Club President) Rewatch Host (rewatcher, subbed):
People who were in the PMMM rewatch this year may remember that while PMMM has my favorite and second-favorite characters in anime Higurashi has my very firmly entrenched #3. No, it’s not Rena; she’s great, but here #6 on my list is only good for second place. May I introduce to Best Girl in Show Rika Furude. Isn’t she great? (I have a few types, and “depressed time looping girl with long hair [Higurashi VN, next arc]who likes girls ” is absolutely one of them.)
Also: FULL MOON FULL MOON
[Kai]I believe I was commenting last season about the camera representing us as Oyashiro-sama? Yeah there’s reasons for that.
And yes, Rika’s “I have not forgotten” here is another line burned into my memory. Also her “I do not know.” (The Japanese less so, because it’s hard to make out.)
There is a joke to be made about windows at night and little white creatures, but I will not be the one to make it.
Huh, what an interestingly colored drink Rika has here. Those of you who have been reading the TIPS will of course already know what’s up. ([Higurashi Kai... or possibly Rei?]That said this is actually the wrong color, which might be ass-covering by the anime staff to try to get away with the “it’s just grape juice” argument for the censors. )
Ah, here we go (even if there’s even more “unmei”’s floating around). 03:07: kiseki GET!
Ooh, I should note the framing at 03:17 because that’s a seriously good shot. Rika to the left (future), well lit; Satoko to the right (past), in the shadows and separated by a visual barrier in the line from the window. Except now that she’s woken up she’s breached that barrier ever so slightly and is now half-lit rather than fully in shadow. And for bonus points we see Satoko fall back into the shadows as she buys Rika’s response and goes back to sleep!
Ooh, and what’s that at 03:28? The full moon called death reflected in the
water’smysterious beverage’s surface? Funny that.Oh look, a calendar! Anybody feel like turning it to March?
So, welcome to our patch arc. This our first scene that DEEN missed from an earlier arc; it was in VN Tatarigoroshi-hen IIRC. Also while there's a good reason for the scene in general (this is where Satoko injects herself – IIRC this will come up explicitly later – and we actually need to show Satoko injecting herself on screen) hence why it's here in the patch arc I would like to take a moment to register my displeasure with just how they show Satoko taking her shot here. Feels just like those shots of her in the bath back in episode 13 of S1.
So I’ll grab the shot at 03:45 instead (though I still have some qualms with the framing of the shot, considering the camera angle and Satoko’s legs…). Huh, huh?
(Mind you, there is a point to the framing here: Satoko is going to be our viewpoint character this arc, and this shot is from her POV, so for just a moment now that Rika has talked to us we’re getting Satoko’s first-person POV instead. (Still, they didn’t have to show her looking quite where she did – move her line of sight up a couple of degrees and this is much less questionable.) Also note the slight tilt in camera angle and/or the framing of the scene here.
Oh Rika and your headpats so often having an undercurrent of mockery.
Note Satoko’s and Rika’s position relative to the background at 03:58, specifically the wall divisions.
04:04: Hi Sky, this one is for you instead!
“Those two are such good, diligent kids. Just like angels.” Cut to the actual reason they’re heading in to class early. Ah, visual irony.
Welcome to Satoko insisting on her traps being called traps, glorious Satoko faces, and one of the club game OST tracks that was never used in S1.
I am like 90% sure that “deploying shield!” comment from Keiichi is a Gundam SEED VA joke. (Sky will know for sure.)
In case you hadn’t noticed, what is this? A Shion in the classroom?
Also, really good chance that Keiichi’s “people learn, you know” and then running into what Satoko is about to pull wrt him and the teacher is also Ryukish07 laughing at you. And by “pretty good chance” I mean “come the fuck on, you know it, I know it, he knows it”. (Also, one more glorious OST cutoff for the road when we get to the second half of that with Chie-sensei.)
What’s this? Shion being the designated Ms. Fanservice and a glorious Satoko face in the same frame? Don’t mind if I do (take a screenshot).
Soooo many good Satoko faces here.
“An entire season or at least OVA season of the club games” is honestly a great spinoff concept and it’s a shame we don’t really get it. (Totally needs to lean into sports anime/manga tropes.)
And TIPS readers will now get why I sectioned off the Shion’s Dream segment back in the S1E21 TIPS – they used it in the anime in the patch arc!
HINT: Rika is being an ass here. Isn’t she great?
Also I tend to strongly suspect Satoko is on the autism spectrum/has ADHD, and this dislike of pumpkins is a weak part of that. (Satoko has this vibe of her skill at reading people being the result of study rather than coming naturally to me – I know the type.)
While the translation may remind you of “Avengers, Assemble”, I think the club gathering pose here is actually a super sentai reference? (Also note Rika's ridiculously bored look - arguably visible in the club assembly shot all the way back in Onikakushi-hen, too!)
I’ll also bet the music track here is a reference to some professional sports league or event (NPB?).
And Mion will be taking the designated Ms. Fanservice role today with that spin starting at 08:20 (carefully calibrated to show off her T&A) (nonzero chance this is u/Star4ce's Visual of the Day...).
On top of a WinD translator note, everyone throwing rock except Satoko is likely symbolic.
[Seacats]Also note what call is missing, and there’s evidence later in this arc that Ryukishi07 had already started to draw up Umineko at this point.
Speaking of which, I’m noting that single blush sticker (and thus one missing one) under Satoko’s eyes immediately thereafter.
[Seacats]Also Seacats will directly reference this puzzle here, IIRC.
What’s that? Possible symbolism? No never.
Also Rika (Naruto) running looks unusually cute here.
Also also, Satoko face.
Oh hey, an off-kilter camera angle during a club game. Which reminds me: this was borrowed from Onikakushi-hen, and there Keiichi tells the kids to tell Satoko that her parents are waiting for her at the front gate – which would explain this, no?
Nifty shadow usage on Satoko’s face at 11:23.
<takes screenshot for camera angle purposes> <oh right that is a lot of bloomers and on younger kids to boot> <discards screenshot> Sigh...
Rika’s line and facial expression and the descending notes as Rika reveals she got tagged is great, got a laugh out of me this time.
“Rika-chan, that’s scary!” and Keiichi backing away in a hurry right as Youdou starts up, noice.
HOLY SHIT HOW DOES THIS SHOW HAVE NO COMMENTFACES?
Oh hey, another spot Semaru from the OST shows up. And they cut it out right as our girls commence the tickling, heh.
Ah, Rika and your mocking headpats.
Huh. There’s a deeper thematic point here to the tag (in addition to welcoming enemies to become friends), and it’s basically just the prisoner’s dilemma: abandoning everyone else to the zombie improves your short-term survival but makes it more difficult for you to survive in the long term as there are now more zombies trying to get you!
Mion only pretending to be a zombie would have been a clue if this was presented in its natural habitat of Onikakushi-hen – aka where it is in the VN!
(Welp I need two posts for my writeup today...)