Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, Episode 16 : Matsuribayashi-hen 3, Owari no Hajimari

[Disclaimer]: This entry is SPOILER-FREE. NO foretelling spoiler is present. Therefore, please follow the same guideline, and understand that any spoiler can just ruin this critical part of the story for any reader. (NO spoiler will be tolerated. Any borderline hint either. Don’t even try to test me, instant edit/delete might fall without your permission. you have been WARNED) Also, please don’t forget this entry has its sole purpose to summary and show what is happening in the specific episode. So, read it at your own risk. Good reading!
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Now, it is the start of KAKERA MUSUBI, the so called “pieces”, which are vessel of “TRUTH”; where many points will be unfolded, explaing the last few holes. Hanyuu will once again witness the tragedies of the past, though this time… this will be the beginning of the end.
No wonder why this episode title is like this.

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai, Matsuribayashi-hen part3 : Owari no Hajimari

Some negotiators from Tokyo came to talk about the dam project with the villagers in the committee reunion room. A lot of the inhabitants are very hostile to them and yell them to get back to Tokyo.
Sonozaki Oryou calms the mob and asks the men to return to their headquarters, as they are obviously against such project.
However, a small group doesn’t agree with the decision of the Sonozaki. Some men are leaded by Houjou. The dam supporters leader can’t agree with Oryou’s decision, as leaders of the village are acting like representative, despite several inhabitants are quite poor, while the Gosanke owns large patches of lands.

Oryou reacts violently and calls him a Traitor and yells him to get out. Houjou claims he wouldn’t mind to do so, but since they messed up the compensation deal, he claims she must pay instead. Several men are agreeing with Houjou and yell as well about this situation and the dubious domination of the Gosanke.Oryou stands up and claims it has been a long time she wasn’t that pissed off, and this will make Houjou pay.
Houjou isn’t intimidated and steps forwards, claiming he will kill her.

A villager intervenes and won’t allow it, trying to punch Houjou. However, the later blocks him easily and reverse the situation, grabbing his hair. Houjou then knock him down.
A second villager rushes to him and tries to punch Houjou. The later barely blocks it, but get a knee blow on his stomach and gets knocked back to his supporters.

The situation is completely chaotic. A literal brawl. Policemen barge in and try to stop the situation before serious injuries occur. Meanwhile, Hanyuu is observing them, silently. She is unable to do anything and repeats she is sorry…

At night, Satoshi has Satoko on his back and knocks violently on the clinic door, asking Irie some help. Satoko has a very heavy fever and she is breathing loudly.
Things are okay and she is sleeping calmly in a bed of the clinic. Irie is relieved and sits in his office, while Takano joins him.
Takano wonders how this can happen and Irie don’t understand how it is AGAIN the LEVEL 5 for Satoko. The first time was due the fact Satoko was present at the site where her parents died, and this relapse is probably due the abuses of her foster parents.
Takano states she will keep an eye on her. Irie is thankful as it is tiring, but the nurse doesn’t mind and comments that if it goes on she will become a valuable sample for thei research so she will be taken into custody.. She is then laughing, amused.
Irie is outraged that she could think of dissecting this child, and he promise he won’t let “it” happen.

Satoshi and Irie are outside after some training with the Hinamizawa Fighters, carrying some drinks and snacks. Satoshi asks how Satoko’s condition is. Irie assures her condition is “fine”, though… Satoko’s is completely lifeless and repeats how a man is yelling her about trivial things (tobacco, etc.)
Irie wonders how it is possible, but Satoshi says several people did that to her, their fathers. Satoshi explains that due the trauma, Satoko probably lumped all of them into one person.

Irie understands and he tells him that her body will probably improve later on, so she will be alright. However, Satoshi is tormented as well, and is hesitantly asking him if it wouldn’t be a bother if Satoko stays at the clinic for a little while longer. Irie is puzzled, and Satoshi confesses that if Satoko doesn’t return back at home, there won’t be fight for some time, and so it would be a bit more peaceful…
Hanyuu narrates that once again, she was powerless.

 

Takano gives a report to Irie from Tokyo. It appears they have enough data to prove the involvement of a parasite, but they are unable to find it. Takano hoped they could find it with an electron microscope, so Irie concluded that either the pathogen is atomically small, or they have a problem with their specimen. Takano is a bit puzzled and the doctor begins to explain that for instance, they can’t find fleas on a dead mouse because the parasites’ habitat would collapse if the host dies.
Takano concludes in a very gloomy tone that in other words, they have to study on LIVING host. She understands, and Irie is dreaded by it, arguing about human rights.
Takano leaves and calls Okonogi, while Irie is dumbstruck.

Tomitake and Takano are in the bus stop, but it is raining so they are sheltering in the stop.
The mood is a bit awkward and Takano is embarassing Tomitake. She is then asking if his camera hobby is fun.

In the dam area, the 6 “murderers” are attacking the dam manager.
Hanyuu apologizes several times…
After the eye catch, one of the workers realized what they did and panics. The “leader” says he is dead and they couldn’t help it, as it was self defense.
A flashback occurs: the workers are having some good time on a break, but one of them wonders what would happen if the manager see them slacking off. The “leader” argues that they are harassed by the villagers, so it shouldn’t hurt much for a break.
Then, the manager enters in the room, in a very excited state. The man lost it, and wildly wields a pickaxe around. Back in the “present” time, the leader says it wasn’t even a human, but a demon. The first worker is still crying, which annoys the leader again. Then he believes his fellow companions might try turning themselves in. The leader doesn’t want to be thrown back in jail, so he claims the better thing to do is to hide the corpse somewhere. However, his “comrades” panic as it will be found someday, and they should plead quickly self-defense.

The leader tells them they are murderers and the self-defense can be hardly raised considering how they mauled him. Then, the leader is very excited and believes he got a good idea . He picks a saw, and they will “divide” the corpse. If one betrays the rest, everyone will be exposed.
He then begins to cut the corpse, while the rest is disgusted in disarray. The man obviously lost it…

At the clinic, Irie runs and asks Takano if they really abducted a “sample”. The man is on the bed, screaming and having spasms, thinking his fellows betrayed him. Irie notices the high excitement of that man, and asks Takano to quickly put him into sleep, otherwise, he might bite his tongue at this rate. Takano is a bit disappointed since she wanted to observe it more, but she can’t help it.

Irie talks to Takano and asks where she found this man. She is evasive and assures it was a coincidence.
Then she shows him something interesting: the abducted man had a… severed arm with him, which horrifies Irie instantly. Irie concludes the man was trying to dispose evidence of a disemboweled murder case, but Takano is amused, because he didn’t speculate that the man could be the murdered himself.

Then Okonogi and Tomitake come as well, and give to Takano some report about the man. It appears the worker has a criminal past already, considering the data of the report. Takano wonders if Irie would have any problem to dissect a lowlife of the society, but Irie states that they can’t tell if he did it on purpose, as it might be the syndrome. However, Tomitake reminds him that the man has the LEVEL 5, and so, they have no way to treat him. Irie is in pinch and must concede to Takano’s plan. Takano leaves, obviously happy with this outcome.

Ooishi is with the coroner, and has a look at the “corpse” of the dam manager. Ooishi has hard time to withstand the sight. He then has a flashback of himself when he was young. He was punched by the dam manager. He remembers he considers him like a father.
The coroner asks him his opinion and Ooishi believes it is no doubt the act of the Sonozaki. The coroner is dubitative by this news since it will be difficult to go against the Gosanke. Ooishi swears that he will make them pay.

Hanyuu is seen observing Satoko, who is still sleeping. She is apologizing again.
Satoko wakes up and Irie is next to her. He wonders what’s wrong, and Satoko tells him she heard someone saying “I’m sorry”.

Rika and Mion are discussing. The chibiko tells to Mion that Satoko and she were in town buying some stuff. However, the consideration towards each of them was drastically different. Rika tried to give her the candy she received from the storekeeper. However, Satoko mentions it was given to Rika and so the later should eat it, as it would feel rude if it is the opposite. As Satoko is running, Rika is gripping strongly her candy.
She explains to Mion that she felt like being very horrible to Satoko with this action.

Rika asks to Mion if Satoko is a comrade/friend of them. Mion confirms, and Satoko is indeed a precious friend of their. Rika then asks if they can do anything, unfortunately Mion says it isn’t possible and it must be someone how isn’t crippled by the village “rules, so an outsider must do this.

But Rika claims this person will come. certainly.
Mion is puzzled, while Rika continue this, and tells her that this person will show them the future.
Frederica thinks it is a start, which will end everything. She asks Hanyuu if it is right, and the later confirms it. The spirit is firm and determined. She agrees and says she will NOT falter and do her best.

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Thoughts :

This episode is the start of the KAKERA MUSUBI. As you most likely saw, this episode had many flat revelations, giving much more insight about “what happened”. Everything isn’t Takano’s plot or such, but things go certainly on her favour, and so the “fate”.

The pace of this episode was nicely done, though the “insertion” of Satoshi and Satoko at the middle might be “weird”. However, it is a good foreshadowing hint about the “sample” issue, and how Takano will have some “fun”. It is however a pity they have to cut short with the characters’ thoughts.

The quality of this episode is alright though the murder wasn’t that “neat”. However, the creepy aspect was largely, kept, especially due the seiyuu works, who impressed me a lot. The “leader” sounded extremely excited and crazy, and the screams are highly convincing.

The explanations are starting smoothly, and more are about to come.