Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, Episode 14 : Analysis, Thoughts, and Random Comments

[Disclaimer]: This entry might contain MINOR spoilers. However, while the analysis might push you to these minorspoilers, 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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A new world awaits! But first, things will never be explained completely if we keep the usual perspective we got in Higurashi. This is then the reason why Matsuribayashi-hen begun like this. As you might have heard, this final chapter will first cover the past of a specific person, while the pieces game (Kakera Musubi) will start right after, just prior the final venture for Rika.
Thus, this episode begins slowly, unfolding the past, which can give you some elements about the “why”.
If you want to read the Analyses for Minagoroshi-hen, check [Shuumatsu], which has the whole pack listed in the lead paragraph.

Be sure to have watched the episode before reading this!Today, I will focus mainly on the following points:

1. Opening changes
2. Mastermind(s)’ past

Yes, this week, the Analysis is very short. There isn’t many things to cover, which is a good sign.

 

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[Analysis]

I. Opening Changes

I believe it is quite hard not to notice the changes applied in for the opening.
That said, it is rather better to post them again for accurate assumptions, right?

I left out Takano’s picture on purpose, considering how irrelevant it is.
Let’s see…
First, Hanyuu is “cosplaying” terminator? Well, as you can obviously see, Hanyuu is quite determined to the point she looks “evil”.
Is she? It is quite hard to say, but considering her usual self, even when Rika was in despair, it is fairly safe to say it isn’t in her nature to go scary/angry like this.
Now, what is really the meaning of this picture then, especially after Rena’s sequence, cleaver/trashyard and the torture room?
I believe this is somehow the way to show that Hanyuu will fight herself against such things, as her sequence overwrote the usual shrine, which isn’t exactly a good location for Rika, being gutted alive in most arcs in front of it. I felt it has some symbol that Hanyuu is herself adamently against such atrocities (especially the torture being often used in her name), and this is somewhat a message to say she is not letting these slip anymore.

Now this doesn’t make much sense until we get to the end of the opening, with Hanyuu… being PHYSICALLY present with the rest of our heroes.
What is the meaning of this? It is hard… confirming her “flesh” status or not is a spoiler, which I will obviously avoid to say so. That said, remember that despite what Hanyuu claims, she IS a supernatural being which obviously has great powers considering the space and time alterations. In such instance, is it possible for her to join the fray? You will see if it will happen or not.
That said, there are huge symbol in this scene: pay attention to Hanyuu’s appearance and expression.
First, she still has her horns, which she complained about, in the TIPS [I and I]. They are proofs she isn’t human, which crippled her with her happiness with everyone else.
However, as you can see, not only Rika but also everyone else are waiting for her. They accepted her, even though she is not from their kind. This fact got much more deeper as Hanyuu doesn’t stay bashful to Rika’s invitation and cheerfully join them.
This is even more blatant as Hanyuu is wearing an outfit quite adapted for school… which is reinforced with the fact she has a school bag as well.

In other words, Hanyuu is taking part herself with the others, as a friend, a comrade of them. Remember what happened in episode 13? Basically they need everyone together so the miracle will happen. If the said missing person joins the fray, doesn’t mean that they are finally all of the 7 reunited to beat the crap out of fate?

I will let the rest for your interpretation, but the symbolism of such short sequences are quite heavy, even if they don’t happen. And if they do… You can imagine how Hanyuu can help Rika and the rest…

 

II. Mastermind(s)’ past

Might be confusing for some people, here is first a recap of what the episode has shown to us. For sake of avoiding confusion, I’m putting the fact in their CHRONOLOGICAL order, and not how it was done in the anime.

1. Tanashi Miyoko lost her parents in a bus accident. Her father told her to contact Takano Hifumi if he dies.
2. Miyoko is taken into an orphanage, since the doctor Takano isn’t really a relative of hers
3. The orphanage soon reveals its darkness, as the staff abuses the children
4. Miyoko befriends with 3 other children, despite the horrible life in there. The natural leader is Eriko
5. One night, Eriko found a way to get out of there, but they have to go together, so they can limit the chance of being caught. Miyoko will be the one which will trigger the attempt.
6. The 4 children are able to escape from the building but they are spotted by a patrol. Once outside, they are spreading out.
7. Miyoko is pursued by one of the men. Struggling against him, she bite his thumb, which turns him angry
8. ???: Time lapse, it isn’t revealed yet how she was able to escape
9. Miyoko is in a very bad shape and walks slowly under the rain. As she sees other pursuers around, she hides herself under a tree. Asking for being killed instead of being kept alive, Miyoko is surprised about something. It isn’t revealed if it is the lightning or anything else
10. ???: Time lapse, it isn’t revealed yet what happened after the lightning.
11. Miyoko is living with her new Guardian, Takano Hifumi, who she considers as her grandfather.
12. ???: Big time lapse, it isn’t revealed yet how she grew up, and how doctor Takano died
13. She is now in the army, as Takano Miyo, and receives support from a middle aged man, friend of late Takano Hifumi
14. Miyo is submitting her research, and she got approval though her objective is to find a cure for the syndrome, as a countermeasure for his possible spread.
15. She then get acquainted with Irie Kyousuke and Tomitake Jirou, as well with Okonogi, the leader of the yamainu.

Note: the missing parts will be probably answered in the next episode(s) as Takano’s past retelling isn’t over yet.

From there, you can somehow evaluate how Takano got through in her childhood.
Let me get straight: whatever how horrible her past was, what she has done is clearly not the aftermath of such trauma. It isn’t anything close to simply rely on “I hate people, so I will kill them”.

In fact, her tragic past is just the reason how she will got her motive to do such madness.
As you can see, as Miyoko, she didn’t seem to get a horrible life with Takano Hifumi, even after what she endured back in the orphanage and her desperate escape.
That said, you can clearly see that doctor Takano fed her with silly beliefs and concepts which are obviously not that understandable for a kid like her.

Takano Hifumi is basically her savior, the only “family” she got. In such perspective, isn’t it normal for her to carry on what her grandfather did?
As mentioned by some officiers, her research looked like Doctor Takano used her to follow it up, and thus, permitting it to get credited with measures and facility.
Now, if we pay attention back on this TIPS, [to *yoko], The late doctor wasn’t able to fulfill his research and prefered to commit suicide, as it was completely forgotten while he was still alive.
Considering the title of the letter, it is fairly safe to assume that Takano was still “Tanashi Miyoko”, and then took her grandfather name as a memento. Thus, considering this act, we can deduce she devoted herself for his sake, as his research was fruitless.

Now, let’s get back with his… dubious theory about parasites controlling humans, to the points it might be a reason of extreme violence under religion, politics, etc. See the syndrome? quite the psychosis disease which can lead mobs of persons going in extreme behaviour (refers to the past of Onigafuchi).
It gets pretty interesting… why? Because if people can go crazy and act weirdly because of a parasite, which is inhibited by some pheromones of the “queen carrier”, wouldn’t be quite close to what the doctor wanted to prove?
See the point? We can now deduce the following point: Takano used the research on the syndrome as a way to glorify herself and her father. Since he was ignored when he was alive, getting respected back because of this great research could lead to what he dumbly says in this episode: becoming a god.

As I explained in the previous Analysis, transcending his life and death by one’s name and deeds are something leading to a concept of “immortality”. Much like how usually tragic characters say that “dear dead people remain in their heart, and so live within them”, this can be applied in a such fashion that people’s consideration can not only praise the existence of such person, but also prolong it, despite their death.

Thus, it is fairly simple to conclude that Takano doesn’t have any interest in either the cure or the way to use the syndrome as a biological weapon. We can suspect she attracted some clients for this, so she can work on the substance so she can actually activate the massacre, and then getting glorified. This was probably a sub-objective, but considering Tomitake’s surprise when Takano shew him a syringe of that substance, we can tell that the main party condemned this sub-ojective, but some people were still interested in it, as it gives control on the hinamiza syndrome
The massacre itself is somewhat a bonus for her own personal “enjoyement”, since she becomes another “type of god”. The thing is the massacre is the extreme part of her bargain, since it proves the governement recognized the hazard and dangerous aspect of the syndrome, and thus, made this choice. By doing this, they have already recognized her work and therefore, Takano Hifumi in the same manner. Therefore, with this massacre, she kills 2 birds with one stone: fulfilling her grandfather wish as being a god, and “reviving” him as a god as well, since he was the original author of such theory about the parasite, getting confirmed with the Hinamizawa Syndrome.

That’s why we can understand why Takano also killed Rika with a Watanagashi-style. Not only it prevents her to be suspected, as people might go completely fanatic (and fitting the Oyashiro-sama curse, and chain of incidents), but it is also a way to prove that “parasites can control humans, to the points of altering thoughts, and therefore, their beliefs”. If the parasite stimulate violent impulses, the “syndrome” can be pointed as the “origin of Oyashiro-sama”. Therefore, she can prove the Syndrome created this deity and so the belief. Again, this murder fashion has also a double useful aspect itself.

Of course, many points are left unanswered about how Doctor Takano was ignored, how Takano was able to involve herself in such dubious side of the army, how she got the funds, etc.
That said, her objective is much more clear, as she wasn’t seeking for simply “being a god”, as a request, but also a way to fulfill the dream and hard work of her only family.

Now back with her whole past, it is quite ironic how she went completely mad to the point she almost looked like reversing the roles, as she is now the one who hunts down children.
It isn’t hinted if she got any flashback or the like, but it is obvious that Takano enjoyed the “entertainement”, which wasn’t exactly needed for her “god transformation”.
That’s how I believe Takano isn’t really a redeemable antagonist, considering how she went through this plan so persistently in EACH world, proving she is determined to do this no matter what until she has something against, like Shion killing Rika/Rika commiting suicide.
As i said it earlier, her past have nothing to do with her insane scheme, but it is rather the context and the reasons how she was led to Takano Hifumi, giving her the opportunity to get hurt again, and fed with twisted ideas, even though the old man didn’t intend to do so…

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yep… no enigmatic stuff in the end of the analysis, nor random stuff… This episode was quite straight, and it was quite depressing, as I still think this analysis is a bit useless now for episode 14…
I just hope it gave more insight, especially about Takano, but meh…

That said, Matsuribayashi-hen will bring many stuff so everything will make sense (despite most of it is already digged up). Things will go smoothly, which is great as it will give the whole series an appropriate end as result.
Hope you will stay tuned with higurashi ^^ Next week is 蠢き – Ugomeki – Wriggling.