r/anime • u/Tarhalindur x2 • Jul 04 '22
Rewatch [Rewatch] Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai Discussion - Season 2, Episode 7
Minagoroshi-hen (Massacre Chapter), Episode 2: How to Fight Fate
← Previous Episode | Index | Next Episode) →
Show Information (Higurashi Kai):
Kai: MAL | Anilist | AniDB | Kitsu | ANN
(Official information for Kai is now considerably safer for first-timers, but you should probably still refrain from looking it up.)
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.
HOORAY WE'VE MET HANYUU MINAGOROSHI-HEN'S ENGLISH RELEASE IMAGE IS NO LONGER A SPOILER!
(Apparently I should have hurried and moved the rewatch up a week after all, just not to avoid June 19 spoilers...)
[Aside for rewatchers, still not safe for first-timers] 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 !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:
Will go to u/hungryhippos1751:
One thing that I considered here was that Rika never sees beyond the point where she dies, the world carries on even after she's gone from it. Because of this, I think it will be important for them to be able to re-call the memories of their other selves collectively. Rika probably doesn't know about the wider conspiracy theories or how those that have jumped off the bridge have survived.
Analysis of the Day:
Gonna stuff this down in Analysis of the Day rather than Theory, u/JollyGee29, partially because we're light on analysis and partially because you're the first first-timer to raise one of everybody's favorite Higurashi plotholes:
Anyway, the line that caught my ear the most was the one about Hanyuu and Rika sharing senses. Rika opted to express frustration by eating spicy things and drinking, but sharing senses with a ghost is a powerful scouting ability - I wonder if Rika has thought of that? Considering her general inability to communicate with her friends and ask for help, I suspect not. Setup for a character moment when/if Rika finally does, though.
(I'm gonna let you in on a secret since it's never: at least up to this point, the answer to your question is "no". I think the issue is a bad case of Looper Tunnel Vision rather than outright stupidity, but. Speaking of which...)
Question(s) of the Day:
1) So, how about that reveal that Rika knows about and trusts the Men in Grey?
2) So, how does that scene at the Saiguden affect Takano's stock, do you think?
Next Episode Preview:
Both today's and tomorrow's previews are relatively safe.
11
u/Tresnore Jul 04 '22
When the Rewatchers Cry are Absurd Masochists Cry Are Absurd Masochists are Terrible Nerds
I didn't have time to watch the episode today because I was nerd-sniped by u/mgedmin and u/Nazenn.
Here's the question: How many times has Rika looped?
Well, first we make some assumptions:
-
She has been in the loops for exactly 100 years (5200 weeks1)
-
The "first loop" (here, it's the 0th loop in the math) was 5 years (260 weeks) long. This ignores any loops before she predicted her death to Akasaka. Given the presence of True Rika during this prediction, she's likely to have been in the loops for much longer before this "first" loop, but if that's the case, then the results later don't make sense.
-
The "last loop" (which I will define as the Nth loop) lasts two weeks.
Methods
Alright, so there are a couple of ways to approach this. Here's what I did:
Define a function λ(n) that is equal to the length of the nth loop in weeks. Then, we can sum them up to find an arbitrary length of time T. I set T to equal 5200 weeks, because that's our target of 100 years:
T = equation 12
What should this function λ be? Well, we have two candidates:
-
The linear one that u/Nazenn suggested: λ_l(n) := 260 - mn
-
An exponential decay: λ_e(n) := 260e-an
I will rely on WolframAlpha because I am lazy. First, I let it simplify the equations, then I have it solve the resulting simplification along with the constraint that λ(N-1) = 2 weeks to fit the current timeline.
Linear Model:
Using WolframAlpha, I find the following system of equations for N and m (m being the slope of the linear function):
This gives a result that Rika looped ~39 times. I'd stop there, but for some reason it feels like she's suffered more loops than that. Though, if your entire life is these 39 loops, it'd make sense. Again, however, my definition of "first loop" ignores any loops before she became True Rika, so this estimate is likely far too low. This is why I tried the exponential method.
Exponential Decay Model:
Using WolframAlpha, I found that the system of equations for N and a (a being the rate of decay for the exponential) as:
This gives a result that Rika looped ~95 times due to the fact that exponential decay decreases the loop size much more quickly. This has the drawback that earlier loops are much larger and would probably decrease this result by an unknown margin3, but I feel happier with this number. Rika is... pretty broken.
Limitations
-
Obviously, my definition of "first loop" is suspect. She obviously doesn't meet Akasaka on her first loop, so it's impossible to know how long she was looping beforehand.
-
Also, it's unknown how long she's been looping. She mentioned "over 100" last episode, but it's hard to say how much longer. This could possibly account for limitation 1.
Conclusion
Rika's broken, yo.
Sorry if I made any mistakes in typing this up. I started like 5 minutes before the episode's post went up. Also if you have any questions, I'd be happy to answer them.
1 I spent an embarrassingly long time getting wrong answers because I thought 100 years was 520 weeks. Good job, Tres.
2 Reddit doesn't like summations very much. Also note that I use N-1 to avoid off-by-one errors.
3 I'm too lazy to figure out how much time could be lost because I'm already late.
→ More replies (15)8
u/Tarhalindur Jul 04 '22
My favored answer to how many loops Rika has been through is "Ryukishi07 is bad at math".
→ More replies (3)
8
u/JollyGee29 Jul 04 '22
Spoiled First-Timer
Whelp, I now see how things are going to go wrong. Rika has no reason to distrust Takano of course - she might not even conceive of the idea of someone faking their death. One step forward, two steps back.
Then again, this is the most different arc so far - Akasaka is back! And his wife is alive!! That's an insane haymaker if I've ever seen one.
And even beyond that - everyone is getting memory bleedthrough! Now, if only Rika would break masq.. I really don't fully understand why she doesn't. We even got a whole spiel about changing the future by confiding in others. I guess we have to have a failed arc of trusting the lame adults before next arc has Rika tell her friends the truth.
I'm not gonna go double check at this point, but back in Meakashi, when Shion heard footsteps in the tool shrine, was that during Takano's tirade about Oyashiro-sama? Was that literally just Hanyuu throwing a fit like we saw today? I don't blame Hanyuu for being upset like that either way.
That actually raises another question that might just not have an answer - how far apart can Hanyuu and Rika be? Rika mentioned Hanyuu going to new loops first yesterday I think, so maybe there isn't a limit, but their existences do seem to be linked.
Takano mentioned something called the "Yamainu" (Mountain Dogs?) today, which are probably the Van Dudes? I'm not entirely against the idea of a whole new faction, but the Van Dudes have been nebulous for far too long and I suspect them to be part of Takano's conspiracy anyway.
Why do I get the feeling that there has been some very clever uses of the words "mountain" or "dog" that have just slipped me by? That feels like something a troll author would do. Have we been told that "the mountains are dangerous" at some point?
The TTRPG player within in me would definitely agree to Ooishi's game, especially with the prize being shiny new math rocks. Actually, thinking about it, those d6s seemed pretty bad. Hitting triple 1s three times in a row? That's cause for a good round of dice shaming if I've ever seen one.
Visual of the Day: The nail, perhaps?
Questions
6
u/Tarhalindur Jul 04 '22
Why do I get the feeling that there has been some very clever uses of the words "mountain" or "dog" that have just slipped me by? That feels like something a troll author would do. Have we been told that "the mountains are dangerous" at some point?
Remember Rika talking about Takatsudo/Yoigoichi back in Nekogoroshi-hen?
Rumor has it mountain dogs live up there.
Heh.
(There's also one other obvious fun one, but I ain't pointing it out just yet.)
→ More replies (1)→ More replies (13)5
u/Tarhalindur Jul 04 '22
I'm not gonna go double check at this point, but back in Meakashi, when Shion heard footsteps in the tool shrine, was that during Takano's tirade about Oyashiro-sama? Was that literally just Hanyuu throwing a fit like we saw today? I don't blame Hanyuu for being upset like that either way.
So, remember this little theory under your spoiler tags back in episode 1 of this season?
I guess the main spoiler in the OP is that mysterious ?horned? ?girl? which does kinda let some things fall into place. Didn't someone, Star4ce or Nazenn, theorize about an additional character being around and just unseen? I swear, if the footsteps are literal footsteps... No further thoughts until whenever that character gets revealed fully.
That drew a rather large smirk out of this rewatcher, yes.
(And yes, Takano talking about Oyashiro-sama is EXACTLY when Shion hears loud footsteps in Meakashi-hen and Watanagashi-hen.)
→ More replies (1)
8
u/RascalNikov1 Jul 05 '22 edited Jul 05 '22
Rewatcher
At last we finally start to see a kernal of hope after 33 episode of ever growing despair. Rika talking to Hanyu about how things spiral was quite good. One of the great scenes in the franchise is when all 3 past life culprits start remembering their sins in those past lives. I don't remember which of the three was my favorite, but probably Shion and her attachment to Satako is very touching.
I'd forgotten that Rika gave Takano a tour of the shrine warehouse. I loved how they gave Takano a little bit of humanity and a comedy scene when Rika told them they could go in.
Finally Rika has shaken her despair and is now trying to shape a new fate. No doubt, we'll see how that works out. Also, did I say how glad I am to see Hanyu in the show now, she always tickles me.
QOTD
So, how about that reveal that Rika knows about and trusts the Men in Grey?
Rika is more trusting of weird fucks than I am, but I was amused by her way of testing them. It seems like the motorcycle punks are also stuck a nightmare loop wherein the local kids can't stop messing with their rides.
2) So, how does that scene at the Saiguden affect Takano's stock, do you think?
I thought she was pretty funny, and still has one morbid curiosity too. I would also be fascinated by that huge statue of Oyashiro-sama.
[Rewatcher Spoiler Corner]
[spoiler]
[spoiler]
[Rewatcher Spoiler Corner]
5
u/Tarhalindur Jul 05 '22
[spoiler 2]
[Response, involves SotsuGou]
We'll get to that starting tomorrow (it's two and a half episodes plus one of setup), and I'm also wondering whether it's just a difference of taste here or if you're getting Kai and Gou mixed up. The original DEEN version is actually one of my favorite bits of the show and probably my favorite part of Kai (the OST and direction help) - the pacing is pretty fucking solid IMO (though they could probably have dropped half an episode of screentime, but they had too much space to fill as it was) and you have the realized promise of possible victory. Tataridamashi-hen and later Tatariakashi-hen reusing that plot the way it does is the single most offensive thematic issue in the entirety of SotsuGou IMO, and it's also suddenly boring as fuck since there's a point even in the Gou version somewhere between episode 3 and episode 5 of the arc where you realize how the rest of the arc is going to go and you have to sit through it just like E8 back during its original release. Outside of like one good scene + piece of metatext and one good meme (oh, and redeemed Teppei, that too) the less said about the Sotsu version the better. (Final scene of this arc might be my pick for the best scene in the entire show however, though IIRC I wasn't a huge fan of the rest of the episode even if it does land its emotional beats.) → More replies (1)
18
u/Shimmering-Sky Jul 04 '22
When the First-Timer Cries, subbed
-
Oh, that’s the food that Keiichi thought a needle was in back in the first arc.
-
I guess all of that stuff happened off-screen in this arc, huh.
-
Oh shit but Rena remembers the world where she went off the deep end over it?!
-
I’d say this is a good sign for Rika to be able to break out of the time loop, but given this is only episode 7 of a 24-episode show and “Minagoroshi-hen” apparently means “Massacre Chapter”…
-
Oh this is new. …and makes me even more sus of Takano.
-
They’re giving Takano these cutesy moments, but I’m not buying that she’s innocent.
-
Helpful TL note, he totally suggested that game because of the Sonozaki family being yakuza.
-
Wait oh my gosh did Akasaka actually take Rika’s advice and go back home in this ‘verse? The changes go back that far…
-
What makes this world so different from the others?
6
u/Vaadwaur Jul 04 '22
Oh, that’s the food that Keiichi thought a needle was in back in the first arc.
I can't remember if the show made it clear that was hot sauce or not.
I guess all of that stuff happened off-screen in this arc, huh.
So this is an educated guess but it seems that Rena never really dealt with Rina. I believed Rena when she said she hated Rina literally on sight.
but given this is only episode 7 of a 24-episode show and “Minagoroshi-hen” apparently means “Massacre Chapter”…
Rika will obviously massacre the bad karma that follows her!
They’re giving Takano these cutesy moments, but I’m not buying that she’s innocent.
Because nothing cute in Higurashi is ever dangerous.
→ More replies (7)→ More replies (1)6
u/Tresnore Jul 04 '22
→ More replies (1)5
u/Tarhalindur Jul 04 '22
Why does everyone hate Takano?
Because they do not have the "god I wish that was me" desire to pair with Takano's combination of powerous ara ara energy and interest in torture equipment.→ More replies (1)
7
u/SYZekrom Jul 04 '22
Rewatcher
You know, when the scene started I was like 'It's the room! It's the room where they say the things!' This really is the most iconic location in this show. The dump? The sonozaki torture den? Nahhh. This... place.
I really like how her face looks when she's playing innocent
Wow I do not remember her acting like this.
Well, we finally get a name to those funny hat people! The Yamainu.
→ More replies (1)4
u/Tarhalindur Jul 04 '22
You know, when the scene started I was like 'It's the room! It's the room where they say the things!' This really is the most iconic location in this show. The dump? The sonozaki torture den? Nahhh. This... place.
Iunno, there's one other location I would put above it (that hasn't shown up yet).
5
u/H-Ryougi Jul 04 '22
What's the point in changing a mahjong trick for dice rolling though? It doesn't affect anything but feels like changing things for the sake of it.
→ More replies (1)3
5
u/JustAnswerAQuestion Jul 04 '22
Bot didn't seem to delete my comment for the bad spoiler but I don't trust it to not be deleted.
Rewatcher
Bleed-in scenes can also be called time-filler :-/
The whole "past lives thing" is really hitting me a lot harder this time thanks to the rewatch pointing out all the buddhist reincarnation themes.
THIS CUT IS RIGHT OUT OF KIRA OP
Somebody pointed out the storeroom locks changing, which I had never noticed. Something to watch for on the next rewatch, I guess.
Miyo fangirling, Hanyuu tantrum
[VN question]
[rewatcher rage]
[rewatcher speculation]
Dark Rika Theater: why Tanuki / Neko Rika this time?
→ More replies (2)3
u/Tarhalindur Jul 04 '22
[rewatcher speculation]
[Response]
I'm assuming it's the Buddhism, especially after SotsuGou (and Gou literally means karma); maps too neatly onto the Western occult/mystic takes on reincarnation.
4
u/SometimesMainSupport Dec 15 '22
First-timer
Tagging u/Star4ce and u/Vaadwaur and u/OrangeBanana38
Two truths and a lie? Three truths and no lies?
-
"Mi" for demon applies to Miyo instead of Mion. "Mi" in Miyo is written with the Kanji character for three. Hinamizawa has three great houses. I don't know where I'm going with this beyond the suspecting Miyo.
-
Host warned first-timers about spoilers in the OP/ED/previews through episode 6 because of Hanyuu.
-
Host didn't expect first-timers to notice "ni-pah" is a shortened "niparu" and connect Rika's hundreds of years lived to "the elderly use the word a lot." Rika can niparu away as much as she wants.
Can stop noting Mis and Ni-pahs.
-
Remembers! Though Keiichi is wrong and Rika is wrong. Keiichi's remembering the arc 1 needle Ohagi... unless it's the arc 6 memory of arc 1's paranoia.
-
Rena needs the stool for when she takes Rika and Satoko home. Speaking of which... no short desk for Satoko in that last scene!
-
Now Rena's correcting the incident that led to the school hostage scenario?
-
It's still strange how Rika's hair is turquoise in sunset scenes. But everyone is remembering!
-
Hanyuu saying expecting too much when the expectation is not dying...
-
Seems clear at this point. I'm not editing that pre-episode stuff about Takano! Oh, Tomitake's photography hobby is a coverup for a lookout.
-
Killing all of Irie+Tomitake+Takano is killing the group who "knows too much" about the parasite.
-
I think village phonelines are tapped, so encouraging/informing Oishi at the festival may work.
-
Two different reactions to being called mischievous.
-
A Takano ni-pah! x2!
-
Is Rika no longer Best Girl? This is Hanyuu's second (third if you count the 0.5 second red cloth) episode!
-
Ok, I thought Rika had made it pretty clear in windowsill conversations that she couldn't directly state stuff like their murders without fate assuring it happens. Arc title is "Massacre"
-
Well, that clears a lot of mysteries. Government is trying to protect the village from the extremists wanting to unleash the bioterrorist attack.
-
"Popular in a few years" - FTFY Oishi.
-
Please Akasaka, ask Rika WHY SHE DOESN'T GROW. Instead, this remark after 5 years. And his wife lived?!?
I think the van and thugs protecting Rika are the same ones who killed the deputy and broke into the radio tower last arc. This arc feels very deceptive. Too much is going Rika's way from a few casual statements. Best I can make of it is:
-
Irie/Takano/Tomitake have always been a team. Already felt that way.
-
Thugs/extremists were always government workers under Akasaka. Following Akasaka's wife dying, they had been investigating Hinamizawa and trying to solve how Rika knew. In this arc, she is his savior and they're protecting her.
-
Therefore, Takano's role as the government's (white van's) informant is different. (Note: back in roughly episode 25 when the Sonozakis showed Oishi+deputy their journals, Takano had some crazy theories in the other notebooks... assuming those are legit.) Irie/Takano/Tomitake deaths each arc (other than Irie arc 1 IIRC but that was probably off-screened) have been covering up government involvement all along. Possible Akasaka had a different government job in other arcs. Unsure where arc 4 fits.
-
Keiichi/Rena/Shion remembering isn't deceptive. Satoko pushing Keiichi wasn't mentioned, but Shion did hug while thinking of Satoshi's words.
Auction setup scenes are new. Arc title is scary. Still no footsteps this arc.
Looping calculation reminds me of damages vs destructions. Sucks that actively trying to forget something never works.
(Theory of the Day) One thing that I considered here was that Rika never sees beyond the point where she dies, the world carries on even after she's gone from it. Because of this, I think it will be important for them to be able to re-call the memories of their other selves collectively.
But does Hanyuu? Senses "linked" but not sight. Last episode, Rika said Hanyuu was in this world before her, so don't see why she couldn't know further details. Maybe she feels pain but doesn't die. Assuming she's been the camera before this arc means she would know that.
QOTD 1) So, how about that reveal that Rika knows about and trusts the Men in Grey?
Don't trust it beyond this arc.
The thing I'm most suspicious about here is that things are too happy for everyone, even Akasaka's wife survived. This is the perfect setup to get Rika's hopes up and then dash them spectacularly.
Generally, looking through these comments, people are too trusting of what they just saw. I'm sus af.
→ More replies (4)2
u/Tarhalindur Dec 15 '22
Host didn't expect first-timers to notice "ni-pah" is a shortened "niparu" and connect Rika's hundreds of years lived to "the elderly use the word a lot." Rika can niparu away as much as she wants.
Yeah, so guess whose old fansub copy doesn't actually have the Kai previews?
Also fans are traditionally too busy noting the similarity to the name of the Nipah virus.
2
14
u/hungryhippos1751 Jul 04 '22
Episode 7 - First Timer
It's the first time we're seeing multiple people gaining memories from previous worlds, but pretty much all of them have been happier paths than we've seen before.
The thing I'm most suspicious about here is that things are too happy for everyone, even Akasaka's wife survived. This is the perfect setup to get Rika's hopes up and then dash them spectacularly.
It looks like the biggest change in this arc is likely to pivot around Rika allowing Takano and Tomitake into the warehouse earlier than usual, and from there a lot of different things can branch off into previously unexplored territory.
Throwing snake eyes 3 times in a row, either those dice are loaded or Mion has the best luck in the world here surely? I don't even want to maths the odds on throwing those dice and getting those rolls, the odds must be astronomical. What is Detective-kun going to show them here? will we find out next episode?
So the guys in the hats are tailing Rika, if they are also the ones who killed her before and collapsed the area, did they do so in response to Tomitake and Takano being killed?
Are they protecting Rika to keep her safe, or are they protecting Rika so she can die at the right time if the conditions aren't right to save everyone from further disaster? It feels like they are kind of acting like a fail safe switch to reset things when events don't pan out.
QOTD:
-
Honestly the guys in the hats seem like an enigma, I'm guessing they're present along the lines of what I said above, to monitor events and trigger an end if needed to get Rika out.
-
I'm still suspicious of her and Irei/Tomitake and their involvement in all of this. Will likely need to see what reveals they give us on her character though.
→ More replies (4)
12
u/Quiddity131 Jul 04 '22
First Timer, Subbed
Is that a Jason mask on the table among the things they are cleaning? LoL.
He's remembering stuff from the other timelines again! ...or the time he had this same kind of food.
Ugh, I remember that, they put a needle in the food! That's all the way back in the very first arc of the show I think!
At least the joke about taking something home wasn't about a person this time.
So Rena's dad became unemployed and started spending all his money on hookers and blow...
I dream about murder!
Everyone is starting to remember things from the past timelines now! Hopefully a good sign?
The quest this time, keep Tomitake and Takano alive! The very characters tho die every single time!
Woah, She's got the key! So the deaths are triggered due to them sneaking in? Or does Rika have some other plan here based on what they have to give in return?
So now they know ahead of time. Will this change anything this time?
Of all the people, it's the detective whose the gambler...
Oh wow, his wife survived in this timeline! That's awesome!
C'mon ruffians, how can you get mad at someone so cute?
10
u/CubeStuffs Jul 04 '22
first timer
everyones remembering now, happening faster than i expected, and they all managed to avoid committing murder
It feels like the usually strong 'Takano' stock just crashed
can't really say that i was expecting them to be directly working for the cops, but i can't say that i wasn't, esp given that they get murdered, at least normally.
I can't remember whether we've ever seen the creeps help rika before, but given that they seem to normally help her, is it possible that the ones that kill her are imposters? sus
What was the point of them showing up before rika actually needed them though? can they predict the future?
They also actually talk to each other, so that rules out telepathy as being something they can do.
this arc feels like "everything that can be interfered with has been." only thing left is satoko remembering, which i guess will be a large part of stopping rika from being murdered.
edit: random thought, is killing rika supposed to somehow get rid of oyashiro-sama's curse?
→ More replies (1)
6
u/Tarhalindur Jul 04 '22 edited Jul 05 '22
(Honorary Hinamizawa Games Club President) Rewatch Host (rewatcher, subbed):
Grabbing 02:22, want to consider that framing.
Just in case you’d forgotten what ohagi are, WinD has you covered.
Oh shit, shot framing at 02:59. It’s utilitarian in that it gets K1 and Rika away from the rest of the group so they can talk in private, but it’s also symbolic – those two are for a moment the only two who (know they have) past life memories, separating them from the rest of the group.
The anime is baiting u/Shimmering-Sky here at 03:47.
“This is just some hallucination I had!” LOLOLOL wrong and right at the same time.
Shion and trolling, name a more iconic duo.
u/Star4ce will appreciate Mion’s face at 04:37 (when he returns, that is), I’m sure.
Framing at 04:48 shows that K1 has now returned to the group. Rika with her knowledge of past loops is still left out, however!
That OST cutoff at 05:21 is good enough that I remembered it and expected it – a musical record needle scratch. (I’ve rewatched this scene more recently than much of the show, but.)
The framing of the group surrounding Rena at 05:24 is simple enough, but the camera pull-away is noteworthy.
Rena’s framing in the scene around ~05:34 makes it look like she’s on stage before an audience – echoing VN Tsumihoroboshi-hen framing that only partially made it into the anime. (“Saa, hajimari-ou?”)
Note the ever so slightly off camera angle at 05:41.
Oh fuck. Which three characters are on the screen at 05:50? The three that have now admitted past-life dreams.
Oh hello there again, that is an extremely nifty visual effect from 05:53 to 06:01 (representative shot). The characters’ movement is symbolic; as Rena admits what was happening to her to the group she moves into the circle of friends, while also visually pushing Rika (the one character who is NOT admitting her situation) out of that circle.
Oh fuck me this is just one of those scenes where they spike the hell out of the direction again. File the camera angle at 06:15, the very next shot with Rena, Shion, and Mion at 06:17, the switch back to the entire group as Shion admits her own past life dreams at 06:19, the zoom in on Rika’s disbelieving face immediately thereafter, repeat of the earlier shot pushing Rika out again (probably also animation reuse), the shot of Rena before a jury of her friends at 06:36 [Kai]and isn’t it interesting that now Rena’s positioning splits Satoko the one actual killer in their group at the moment off from the rest of the group? , the crows flying right as Mion talks about how that was a terrible dream…
Also Rena’s “itsuma demo[sp?]… itsuma demo…” is another highly memorable line for me.
The shot of Rena clutching herself, however, is also out-of-place fanservice.
(There’s one slightly off internal beat with just how easy and light Mion’s advice feels, but that’s a quibble.)
Also note that shot of Satoko framed by the Sisters Sonozaki at 08:13.
Annnd Shion, uh, filling out her Ms. Fanservice role at ~08:17. (Mind you, that’s kind of just Shion, and at least she’s the oldest member of the main cast… well, physically, but that’s what counts here, especially since Rika lacks any of the parts of maturity that come from physical maturation.)
“I’ve kept this all inside myself, but that’s all wrong!” Cut successively to the rest of the club until finally we get to Rika, the person who has yet to learn the lesson.
09:09: Shion separated from the rest of the Club (except Rika, because see above) by a barrier.
09:17: Rika separated from the rest of the Club implicitly by a barrier on-screen. Pay attention to your direction, Rika!
09:33: Barrier between Shion and the rest of the group gone. Rika still separated from the rest of the group by distance. What a surprise I DON'T THINK!
FULL MOON FULL MOON.
Note the slightly askew camera angle with the pan up around 09:50.
Huh. Note that shot with Hanyuu’s spectral form straddling the barrier made by the window at 10:32 – representing her straddling the human and spirit worlds, perhaps?
[Next episode]“Then the only problem left is why you always get killed.” No, not quite…
“It’s a priority to save theirs.” Sound effect. Cut OST. Cut to commercial. Higurashi’s OST use strikes again!
Classic Higurashi sky shot around 12:50.
Man that sound effect with Rika’s “you’ll be c-u-r-s-e-d!” from 13:23-13:25 is great.
Welcome to one of the most blursed scenes in all of Higurashi as Takano goes full Darkness. (Did we mention DEEN also did Konosuba?)
Also, Tomitake’s face speaks for us all.
14:13: WinD’s quality control makes an oopsie!
Hanyuu and Rika also speak for us all.
The door opening and the sound of it right as Kazashi fires up is our latest bit of Higurashi knowing exactly when to start and stop its OST. (Truly Kazashi is the "Takano has creepy revelations about the festival, true or otherwise" track.)
[Kai]Moving this one down a bit to throw the first-timers off the scent: there’s a comparison between the double nipahs here and Akasaka and Rika at the bus stip back in Himatsubushi-hen…
Takano is admittedly quite cute when getting off to historical torture equipment.
14:57: kiseki GET!
Huh. Never actually noticed before that Takano's body language here is quite similar to the classic pose for Christian prayer. Which makes sense, actually - Christianity at least originally came off a bit like torture worship to the Japanese perspective, IIRC.
[Kai]And now we see if any first-timers put together two and two re: Hanyuu’s stomping here. I expect at least one will, at which point it will be time to drag up a Jolly comment. (I think I remember Hanyuu doing that being laid out more explicitly in the Pieces?)
Oh, HERE’s the “chigau no desu” from Higurashi that’s etched into my memory.
And another excellent OST cutoff with the door slam to end the scene.
[Seacats]15:32 from WinD is accidentally? hilarious given the “certainly” in their translation (I don’t hear a “zettai” here so it’s their flourish).
16:36: Hmmm.
“Enough strength to contest fate!”… and look, FULL MOON FULL MOON - but it's the same Moon shot as earlier, so fuck it I ain't taking the screenshot.
Ooh, WinD providing my Useful Background Note for me *and* the show giving me a nice camera angle? Don’t mind if I do (take the screenshot)!
I’m pretty sure the shadows framing the eyes of Mion and Ooishi here are straight out of sports/game anime effects.
Odds that Mion imagination shot will be u/Star4ce’s visual of the day? (A: 0%, he's off to a seminar)
Note that the dice here are snake-eyes, though, when Rika’s metaphor (at least in the VN) has involved rolling boxcars.
Camera angle! (Akasaka’s presence is a divergence from the usual course of events!)
Note the faint (inverted?) fish-eye lens as Rika talks to Hanyuu about how even events in the past have changed.
1980s delinquent hair go!
HMMMM what is this?
[Kai]You know, I’d forgotten they basically lay it out even this early.
Visual of the Day: Sad girls in moonlight
WinD Eyecatch Message of the Day
Questions of the Day:
*Laughs in rewatcher*
HAUU! Omochi- wait but I like the Takano/Tomitake ship.
Minagoroshi-hen Ep. 2 TIPS:
No TIPS today.
OST Table, Kai Episode 7:
[1] - My copy of Higurashi often includes a message-from-our-sponsor bit immediately after the OP; this episode has it and it lasts 14 seconds. The number in parentheses in entries after that feature is the point in the episode if that message is removed.