Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, Episode 7 : Analysis, Thoughts, and Random Comments

[Disclaimer]: This entry might contain MILD spoilers. However, while the analysis might push you to these mild spoilers, 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). Good reading!
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This Hinamizawa begins to be really amazing… too amazing to be honest, and Hanyuu doesn’t really worry uselessly. Nevertheless, Rika is high spirited, and will fight like no tomorrow. But does her confidence will be enough though? As you might have seen, this episode has shown a very obnoxious irony towards the end, and the truth might shatter Rika’s will completely. Again, that plot twist in the end put this article into “MILD” spoilers range. Again, everything is based only with the anime material, nothing else.
If you want to read the analysis of Minagoroshi part1, here is the link: [Meiro no Housoku]

Be sure to have watched the episode before reading this!

Today, I will focus mainly on the following points:

1. Rule X, prevented again.
2. Irie, Tomitake, Takano and the Yamainu
   
3. Timeline and Dimensions
4. Random Thing, MOE Miyo-tan.. GAME VERSION !
   

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[Analysis]

I. Rule X, prevented again

This episode started with a very fast pace about an apparent resolution of the RULE X. The major actors, Keiichi, Rena and Shion, have their “insanity trigger” disabled. Let’s see more in depth:

1) Keiichi
Keiichi didn’t get the same spectacular trust he had from Yakusamashi-hen. That said, Keiichi confronted his own fear and dream against reality.

Much like what I wrote in the summary, Keiichi wasn’t exactly covered perfectly for his “dream sequence”.
Keiichi got a huge paranoia, right in his childhood, because of a scary story. As a result, Keiichi begun to be frightened by unchecked food, thinking some harmful object might be in, especially needles.

The dream is extremely dangerous, since unlike what happened in Tsumihoroboshi-hen, it shows the needle was there.
Another point about the memories of Tsumihoroboshi-hen, this scene wasn’t very well explained in the first season (DEEN has shown the ohagi with the needle, but that’s it).
Here is the context: Mion and Rena were worried about Keiichi, and payed him a visit. Since he wasn’t able to participate to the activities of the day, Mion and Rena prepared a tiny personal activity for Keiichi : 6 ohagi, with a different mark on them. 4 of them were made by her grandma, while Mion and Rena made 1. Thus, the goal was to determine who did which ohagi.
Mion had the “great” idea to fill her ohagi with some Tabasco or a spicy sauce. (It is unknown for Rena, but something probably delicious and fancy) This is the main reason why Mion didn’t deny the Ohagi trap when keiichi confronted her later on, but of course, they weren’t talking of the same “thing”.
As you could see in season 1, Keiichi was already delusional, and their behavior was easily mistaken, reinforcing his Paranoia.
Now what happen when he ate Mion’s Ohagi first, feeling that strong spicy taste? Bingo, he would feel like he had huge pain, and the red sauce could be mistaken as his own blood. The other obvious hint that this needle never existed in the first place was probably the fact Keiichi wasn’t even able to find it.

Back in the present through, Keiichi explains to Rika that he had that fear from childhood. But much like in the anime, he definitely knows there is no way Mion could do this, and eagerly eat the ohagi, after he confronted his doubts.

This point pretty much proves Keiichi won’t turn delusional. Even he fought “fate”, nothing could prevent him to go completely in distrust with his friends, and therefore, leading the world into another iron gauntlet disaster.
Even while the dream was extremely real (and didn’t even show the needle never existed) and that Rika told him it has happened (reinforcing the “reality” of the needle), Keiichi put much more credits on his friends than rather his own fears and memories.

2) Rena
Much like Keiichi, Rena’s past wasn’t exactly well covered either (in fact, it was horribly omitted, and even her present status). Rena, or rather Reina’s (礼奈) past is extremely important, so one can understand why Rena was so affected by Rina’s invading presence.
Let me summary back what happened:

The Ryuuguu family was living in Hinamizawa before. Both parents were Fashion designers. However, Mrs. Ryuuguu got a break, and then she was given a gold opportunity: a lead position in a very large company.
That is the reason why the Ryuuguu Family moved to Ibaraki. However, Mr. Ryuuguu wasn’t as talented as his wife and couldn’t get a proper job with his skills. Thus, he took care of their daughter Reina and the house.

As you might expect, as soon as Reina’s mother took this job, she became really successful, and therefore has the usual “busy parent syndrome”: less and less at home, etc. However, she didn’t neglect Reina, and took her sometimes on various trips. During on of them, she presented Akihito as her “colleague”. Some few months later, her mother brought her in a very expensive café, and she wanted to fulfill her wish: let her eat as much ice cream as she wants. Taking advantage of this bliss, Reina’s mother asked who Reina loves the most. Considering she felt forced a bit (it would be rude to say otherwise, after this kind treat), she answered her mother. As result, she then reveals she will divorce, and wants to form a family with Akihito. Reina is completely demolished by this, and wants to keep her father as a family as well. Then, her mother finishes her off, confessing she is pregnant. Later on, Her mother decides to go on, and employed a lawyer. The whole situation becomes a trainwreck: She never talked to his husband before about this, and even refuses to talk to him, letting her lawyer to take care of everything. Her father is completely crushed, and Reina realized her own foolishness, the kindness she has shown to her mother because she was treated “nicely” etc.

Later on, when Reina was going to visit her mother for the last time, she took her Father letter. But Reina soon understood she will never read the letter. She then screams at her mother to never be in front of her ever again etc.
At this point, she begun to act erratic, changing her name into Rena (レナ), and destroying everything related to her mother, and in such extent she was going to destroy herself as well.

Lots of shit happened to her after all of this. Remember the school incident? What really happened is that the boys picked on her, to the point it was almost looking like a rape intent. Therefore, it literally triggered her insane side and she begun to smite anyone around her. This is the main reason why none of the “victims” were complaining to the police about this. Undoubtedly, they ARE the culprits, not Rena.

Rena was then thinking of Oyashiro-sama and the curse. And finally, she “understood” everything was a curse from Oyashiro-sama since her family left Hinamizawa for Ibaraki. Therefore, she begun to feel filthy, deserving what happening to her, and even going to get her delusional parasitosis.
Considering the fact they are “cursed” since they left Hinamizawa, Rena then thought they never should leave hinamizawa to begin with, and so, she thinks they have to get back.

Her father is a complete wreck, and you can tell he wouldn’t really mind to go back in Hinamizawa, considering the life in Ibaraki, and the various possible “memories” they have there. Thus, they go back in hinamizawa.
This is the reason why, despite moving quite recently in the village, Rena was already that “faithful” to Oyashiro-sama, and particularly affected by the “curse.
Meanwhile, her father is still completely crushed, spending erratically the compensation money of the divorce, and doesn’t even seek for a job. He begins to hang around “dubious” places. And this is the moment he met Rina, a show girl. (Link for her TIPS, her Name Card)

You can guess Rina’s presence disrupted things even more, since Rena was jealous she couldn’t bring to her father the same smile that Rina was able to. She begun to erase herself, and tried to kill time, and seeked to feel “happier”. This is where her Hau~, Kaii attitude, and treasure hunting are from.

Everything you could read were from the game, most likely when Rena explained herself to her friends and during her flashbacks. It is however a very “digest” summary. if you want more information, see the following links:

1. [Ryuuguu Reina]
   Not a TIPS, but what DEEN completely skipped in the anime. Basically in episode 22-23, Rena tell her past, and some flashback can be seen.
2. [Lunch Take-out List 1], [Lunch Take-out List 2], [Lunch Take-out List 3]
   The last 3 links are TIPS from Tsumihoroboshi-hen, extremely insightful to understand the mental state and unstable family situation for Rena. Don’t be fooled by their titles, you will understand.

Back in the topic, Rena was about to kill Rina. The dream was a huge alarm, which permit her to see the sin by itself before it is too late. Considering her own sensitive and diligent notions, Rena didn’t let herself jumping on her own murderous impulses. While nothing special happened, the clear picture of what “will happen” was scary enough, while in Tsumihoroboshi-hen, it was already too late for Rena to realize what she has done, and put her further in madness after this.

3) Shion
This was already explained in the previous episode: if the doll incident doesn’t happen (or if Keiichi doesn’t screw up), we won’t engage Watanagashi-hen or Meakashi-hen.
But the dream itself reinforce that aspect as well: Shion care a lot for Mion, and this horrible sight is certainly something you won’t let at it is. The same goes for Satoko’s case, which will instantly hammer Shion that Satoko is under her care. (Even when she murdered her in Meakashi-hen, she realized the ultimate mistake despite her madness)

The 3 most important characters in RULE X have been able to correct their faults, in this dream process:

1. Trust for Keiichi
2. Talk with the others for Rena
3. Promises and affection for Shion

Odds that one of these 3 being crazy in this chapter are extremely low, even inexistent.
However… someone else might be struck by this horrible RULE X…

 

II. Irie, Tomitake, Takano and the Yamainu

Well, this episode just confirmed hard what is happening with the 3 of them.
It is rather obvious that the three are working on a cure for that weird disease in Hinamizawa, which triggers this madness. Irie quickly feared a type of Paranoia in Rika, and even thought it could evolve into something more dangerous. It appears Rika and Satoko are the key to get the cure. The reasons are unknown, but considering the earlier episode, you can tell that Rika might have the cure (antibodies), while Satoko is the first subject being treated.

Another interesting fact is : they are clearly associated with the governement considering the mention of Tokyo. Of course, various other points are giving some confirmations, like Tomitake’s muscular shape (see Onikakushi TIPS :[More than 4 criminals?]), and his “too obvious” detail: his army badges around his neck. (I believe many people didn’t care about this, or didn’t even notice it, while this “innocent” looking clue is in fact something shown with purpose)

Now that we know their goal and faction, the later part begins to be really tricky: the Yamainu (lit. Mountain Dogs)
As many people would be completely “freaked out”, odds they are the same “Janitor Henchmen” from earlier arcs, especially yakusamashi-hen are extremely high.
However, in this case, they are protecting Rika. But why?

Remember what I theorized in episode 6? Irie wasn’t spared, while he knew something. If we consider Takano and Tomitake as direct “officers” for the reinforcements and link with Tokyo, someone among them can simply jam the operation, by erasing said hinderances. There are many possibilities: a spy, a government collaborator who has another agenda etc.
Why doing such thing? Well, you actually witness the powerful effects of the… “disease”. Thus, don’t you think some people would like to get their hands in it, as a fantastic biologic/psychosis weapon?
If we consider this possibility, the fact the mastermind(s) erase the trio head of the operation might be required to avoid useless information leaks and various obnoxious hinderances. Why killing the whole village?
Well… what happens when “evil” people has gained full use of something? You got it: why not trashing the toy out, so no one else will have fun with it?
Be careful of something: despite what they have shown here and there, odds they are the “army” are simply low or non existent. Their suits, equipments and purposes aren’t really convincing in this case. More likely, you can tell they are assigned to Takano and the others for their own purpose, giving more discretion, much less resource sinking and leaving less possibility to be detected. (Tracking down elite force, mercenaries etc, are way harder than regular soldiers, huh)

Thinking about this, it makes sense with what happened… aside of Yakusamashi-hen.
Their equipments are well adapted in their missions, and contexts. (Not exactly a Battlefield, so erm…)
The fact they have to kidnap the grandson of the prime minister in the past matches perfectly: what would happen if the dam project is successful? Well, villagers will have to move out, so… happy spread of the disease in Japan.
This also makes sense with Irie in Onikakushi-hen, who probably need some help in case Keiichi was too erratic, despite Mion and Rena presence (but again, didn’t really realize both can be killed…)

But aside of this, these men have clearly a connection with the Mastermind(s). There aren’t any possibility to fully grasp how far the “corrupt” party is, but it is clear that the Yamainu just “switched” their side (well, as trained troops, you can tell they just follow orders. Not exactly “traitors” as you can tell how they acted in Onikakushi-hen and Minagoroshi-hen so far), when the disaster plan was engaged. (so, killing Tomitake and Takano, faking irie’s suicide, erasing any witness around the said area, like Ooishi and kuma in Tatarigoroshi, and the later alone in Yakusamashi-hen, etc.)

There is also another point which should be discussed:
I believe many people wonder why Rika trust these guys.

She doesn’t exactly trust them, but basically, Rika and Hanyuu has no way to recognize them. Reasons?

1. In yakusamashi-hen (and probably Tsumihoroboshi-hen as well), it was PITCH BLACK. Rika could see them only for at most 2-3 seconds, in complete darkness
2. Rika explained in the start of Minagoroshi-hen, game version, (when she “wakes up” from her fall) that she is unable to remember what happened some moments before her death. It isn’t explained if it is because of the “death shock”, the Time reboot, or the drugs the men used on her.

Since Hanyuu is linked with her perception, She will probably pass out as well, despite being a spirit.

So no, it isn’t a plot hole: Rika and Hanyuu DON’T know these guys will switch their agenda. And even if she knows, it won’t help her to find the mastermind(s)

 

III. Timeline and Dimensions

Probably another “plot hole” for many people, but I guess it should “explained” this as well.

Well, in this “world”, Akasaka believed in Rika, and quickly made his way back in Tokyo, checking on his wife Yukie, preventing the tragedy.
However, the problem is : Rika only reboot 2 weeks from the fated day of doom, so she wouldn’t be able to change what she said to Akasaka.

First, let me ask you something: Do you think Akasaka will change his mind just because Rika already tried over and over and over again? What do you think of these changes while Rika doesn’t do anything?

Basically, the “Time Jump” isn’t exactly a correct name for what Rika and Hanyuu do.

1. Problem with Time Jump: why aren’t there several Rika in the same world? why only one?
2. Secondly, why things happen differently, while she doesn’t have any control? (i.e How Keiichi learns about the incidents)
3. Third, what happens if the Rule X occurs before a certain limit? let’s take an example: Chapter [X], Rika comes back [X] weeks earlier. However, let’s say Keiichi learns the truth in a “hardcore way”, before these [X] weeks, then Mion and Rena are in “denial” since it is too soon/not really the mood to tell this? Well the “chapter [X]” will be a Onikakushi-hen with no way to prevent the TRIGGER of Rule X.

This means that there is absolutely no way the “return in the past” is physical (for the first reason), and the “universes” or chapters cannot be one, because, in that case, prior events in said chapter cannot be avoided in a next chapter, since the “time jump” cannot go beyond the earlier try.

Simply put, Rika doesn’t “dumbly” return in the time, but also changes the “universe” itself (which explains the “this” and “next” hinamizawa). I’m aware it is a bit confusing, but here is the trick:

Simply put, Rika projects her own consciousness in back in the time, but not exactly the same universe, since this universe is then “sealed”. Rather, you can consider it is a mix of “time manipulation” and “universe alteration” as well. Think it as several universes/dimensions, branched because of fated events, and not an unique branching time line, nor parallel dimensions.

At this point, “Frederika”, the collected consciousness fuse with the “Destination Rika” and become one, and this is the “new try again”. To be more accurate, what she has done in the past is “canon”, as long as she doesn’t undo them herself, by “going back in the time”. But on the same basis, the universe itself is altered, since events can differ.
The biggest proof for this is most likely the start of Minagoroshi. Once she enters in the “Hinamizawa of Minagoroshi-hen”, she was suddenly on the ground, and she tried to understand what happened. She didn’t even know the date of the day. Thus, you can tell the “eternal consciousness” of Rika is most likely “taking place” of the “Furude Rika” of the said engaged world.

Here, Akasaka trusted her. This point implies one thing: Rika’s warning during the past is canon (logic, since she did it all the time, and at some point cannot undo what she has done, since it is already in history), and this warning HAS a PROBABILITY to convince him. This odd is particularly low, since in this chapter, Rika was really impressed, that probably means it is the first time ever in her struggle against fate 1983 that Akasaka saved Yukie.

The same “alteration” of “Hinamizawa” happens also for factors of the present, which CANNOT be altered by whimsical events, actions and the like: The fact Ooishi and Kuma dies, the fact Teppei comes back in Hinamizawa,the fact the doll event happens or not, etc etc.

Usually, a single timeline can indeed branch depending of what the “traveler” does, which implies a direct consequence on the outcome.
However, as shown in the story, and as i demonstrated in another analysis, Rika doesn’t know which Chapter will occur. This means she doesn’t know what kind of things she should do, to stick on a specific chapter (if she could, it could be better to prevent herself to get mistakes, and her chances to break fate would be much more solid, if she stick on the same scenario). that means she is unable to erase definitely the “watanagashi/meakashi” path, if she doesn’t know how to prevent the doll event to happen (since whatever she did in prior chapters, the event always fails, thus leading to Shion’s madness)
Basically, despite her numerous tries, she couldn’t keep the same chapter. Otherwise, she could just mimic what she has done “earlier”, and so she could directly try it again.
This is proved by Yakusamashi-hen and Minagoroshi-hen starts that things change by themselves, without her involvement in them.

And even this key event aside, in some worlds (the only example for us is Yakusamashi-hen), Shion is already present long enough around Satoko, while Rika was just back recently in “Hinamizawa”.

Therefore, why the past should be set in stone, if the present itself changes naturally?
Of course, the “past”, the period of time that already occured and that Rika cannot reach anymroe (since she and Hanyuu don’t have enough power to do so) cannot suddenly change into gigantic proportions. As result of the reasoning for the present, the “past” is subject of the same “rules”: only specific events can change, if they have a probability to happen, depending of the canon events.
Examples:

• Akasaka believes in Rika during her first warning in the past. (odd is extremely low. only 1 success: Minagoroshi-hen)
• Akasaka is killed by the Yamainu when he was saving the kid with Ooishi
• Akasaka is killed while he is in the hospital after he got treated for his gun wound (it is revealed in the game by Rika, that Akasaka didn’t have a high chance to survive if left alone)
• Keiichi moving out to Hinamizawa (in some worlds, the Maebara family doesn’t even move out, so you can tell these worlds are pretty much doomed and boring)
• …

Thus, the time is of course rewinded, but the “world settings” as well. Getting back in the time just put her back in a specific period in the past, giving her the “time” to prevent the impending doom. And during the process, the world itself is anew, and so, CAN repeat or NOT the settings already met. By “rewinding” the world, Rika got back 2 weeks before the Watanagashi Festival in Minagoroshi-hen, and ended in a world very similar to Watanagashi/Meakashi. The start of the “change” compared to the earlier chapters are basically what Rika has done with Keiichi, and what he did naturally after the first change of fate.
In conclusion, the “reset” is just a “reload game”, with the game selecting the “universe” back where you can “reload”, and generate the environment and situations with what was already done, but not perfectly. That is why i said “time manipulation” and “universe alteration”.

Let’s take a further way to illustrate it. Let’s say we are in a game. You have got through 100 days worth in the universe of the game. One of your most important action is to have planted a seed in the 50th day for example Then, you die. As a reboot, you are able to go back 90 days. then after 80 days, until you are on 20 days before you last game over. however, what did the game do? Simply:

1. Check on the earliest date you can go back, considering the loss of power each reboot
2. RECREATE THE WORLD from scratch. For this, the game refers to the parameters usually done
3. Now the tric, you the player already made several actions “in the past”, but you CANNOT change what you have done, since you can no longer go back to this time. (so here, you can only reboot at the 80th day, since the max is 20 day before the death. So you are 30 days after you planted the seed).
4. Now, while the game recreates the world, the game will check each “canon” events which should happen, and THEN evaluates and recreates situations depending of the PROBABILITY of some action. Here, let’s say the magical seed has 1 chance among 10 to have grown up. That mean it is normal to say that in some reboot, nothing grew, while suddenly, you saw this.

This analogy shows that the “universe” just plays back with every solid events, but changes can happen, since any event does NOT always bear the SAME RESULT. If you toss a coin, it might be tail, it migh be head. If you create a situation, even with the same trigger, the result isn’t always the same, since there is always a probability here (along with the context). This is the same for some parameters in Higurashi: why Akasaka can be there in the present, etc. This is the main reason why Rika refers her trial as some “dice”, since it is mainly pure luck. As Rika said it in the game: after the several changes of fate, it was like rolling a 6, then another 6, and again a 6. However, luck is… well… not constant so…

 

That said, back in this topic, there is a major advantage and issue with Akasaka in Minagoroshi-hen.
As you can see, Akasaka trusts a lot Rika, since he followed her warning and got confirmed, with the big mention of savior.
That said, he NEVER mentioned he is there to protect her. This is major, because that means Akasaka didn’t got back in Hinamizawa after he saved Yukie. Therefore, he wasn’t able to have Rika’s “fortune telling” about the incidents in Hinamizawa. Thus, THIS Akasaka doesn’t know the gruesome incidents and the incoming murder of Rika.
The “current” Rika didn’t pay attention to this details, but on the other side of this, Rika can still request help from Akasaka, since he witnessed by himself that she truly “sees in the future”.
But since the matter is extremely urgent, and quite crazy, He might be not totally convinced.

But keep in mind he is with his wife on a trip, so until Rika asks him for help, he will probably enjoy his vacation. Well at least, this is another “stand by” ally for Rika… if she is able to get past this fate through.

…This Fate of June 1983 doesn’t seem to be unbreakable anymore…
…sins are not forgotten nor ignored…
…rather shattered…

…As a sign of salvation…

Now… Doom is really countered? Will everyone be happy?
This is your decision to witness the possible arrival of a miracle…

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai continues…

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[Random Thing]

 

One major and epic random thing in the whole Higurashi universe : MOE 34-tan !!
Takano surely put lots of “WTF” moments and the like I believe.
But guess what people? things are much more serious business in the game!

Lucky you, instead of dumbly copy paste the script, here are screenshots of the actual game, so you can judge with the context. (well simple BG and characters “CG” but much better than plain text right? ^^”)
Again, courtesy of the Hinamizawa club crew for the translation.

Be careful, it is extremely “creepy” in a sense ^^

 

1. Nipa, 34 style
2. “This IS a miracle!” by Rika
   
3. “No !! MY Takano-san! It can’t be !!!” by Tommy
4. Learn to talk with others
5. Good luck Tomitake !
6. Moe… did you say… MOE !?
7. “Screw the pictures, I have MONEY!” by 34-tan
8. “SWEETS ! SWEETS !! SWEETS !!! Auauau !!!” by Hanyuu
9. Oyashiro-sama WANTS you!
10. BATSU GAME ! NEKO !!!
11. Are you SERIOUS?!
12. Near future: Takano Miyo as the seventh member of the club
13. Tomitake, YOU IDIOT!

Hope you enjoyed it ^^

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Phew… probably one of the most braintwisting analysis of the lot XD
I hope i didn’t screw too much here, though the Time thing might be really annoying, geh…

Next episode will be 揺らぎ, Kiragu, Fluctuation. This title appears to be ironic to me, considering the twisting end, and the preview. I guess things will pile up, but on the reversed way…

Hope you have prepared yourself, because the ride will go berserk now. As i announced, this chapter won’t slow down the pace, and this is now sure !

See you around!