Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, Episode 15 : Matsuribayashi-hen 2, Ugomeki

[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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Still not reaching the new world, the past of “this person” is unfolding surely…
Is everything clear yet? Not so much, as the wole ordeal is still a bit clumsy. But fear not, this episode will probably clear completely about that matter.
That said… though this “person” is once again planning their scheme… An unexpected “visitor” will show up…

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai, Matsuribayashi-hen part2 : Ugomeki

The episode resumes with Miyoko who was under the tree, challening god. The lightning struck down, but it aimed for the tree behind her. Miyoko is left unscratched, and she begins to celebrate her victory against god, who couldn’t kill her. She asks God to save her, since she won her bet. Of course, nothing happens.
She is lamenting as no one will help her and God doesn’t exist. She suddenly hears 2 pursuers. She resumes her escape.

She arrives in a phone booth, and sits down, sheltering herself from the weather. She then notices a coin, and suddenly remembers when her father died. In fact, after he caughed blood, he tried to tell her Takano Hifumi number phone, but without any sound.

She desperately tries to figure the numbers : 0 – 3 – 2 – 7. She is able to reach Takano Hifumi, and she asks if it is really him. He confirms and asks her who she is. Miyoko is hesistant and tells him she is Tanashi Miyoko. Doctor Takano repeats this name, as he heard it before, and when Miyoko says her father full name, Tanashi Takemitsu, he finally realizes she is related to one of his students.
Miyoko explains her father asked her to call him. He asks what happened to him, and Miyoko says both her parents died, and his father told her about Takano. Doctor Takano understands the situation and asks what she wants from him. She hesitates again and yells him to save him. As soon as she says it, the call is cut.

Miyoko is desperate but suddenly hears a car, she is silent and almost relieved when the car seems to goes farther, but the driver suddenly stops it. Miyoko panics and flees from the phone booth. Three men are pursuing her, and she gots some flashback about “what would happen if someone is caught”. One of the men is able to catch her, making her trip on the ground. Two of them is restraining her, while the last one knocks her down with a straight punch, while she is screaming.

Back in the orphanage, Miyoko hears many screams of abused children. She is brought to the guy she bite the thumb. He is grinning, while Miyoko is scared to death, screaming she is sorry. Meanwhile, Doctor Takano is looking his album, and begins to call someone for an emergency.

The man pulls Miyoko with her hair, and leads her in the toilet. He is strangling her, but two guys barge in, postponing the torture.

Next morning, Miyoko is led outside, and a luxious car is waiting for her. She comes in, and meets with Takano Hifumi. He introduces himself, and writes his name, Hifumi (一二三, which is 1 2 3). He then asks if he can call her Miyo. Miyoko begins to write Myo (三四, which is 3 4) and saying her name is “Miyo”.

At night, Miyo is carrying several books to put in order, and Hifumi complains it is late already. However, she is energic and assures him she isn’t sleepy at all. He is still concerned because she has to go school and she might be scolded again for being sleepy and yawning during classes. She really does want to help him, and says she will go to bed once she is done. He can’t help it, and is okay with this, and so they perform a pinky promise.

Hifumi receives some visit of Koizumi (the old man who gave the money to takano in the last episode), a superior to Hifumi. He calls him colonel, but Koizumi assures him he is no longer such things and so, Hifumi shouldn’t be so formal. Koizumi comments how Miyo grew up already, and praises her tea; He is quite envious of Hifumi, having such a cute granddaughter.
Then both are getting back on their business, and Koizumi is giving his approval, which please a lot Hifumi, who thanks him a lot. Several professors will pay a visit, as they found his report interesting so it could maybe got the nobel prize. Takano is honored, while Koizumi is concerned that the later might have been infected by the syndrome as well. However, Hifumi explains it won’t affect people with a healthy lifestyle, as the symptoms emerge under stress situations.
As Koizumi is leaving, Miyo and Hifumi are excited, and they will work for the rest of the week so the paper will be suitable for a easier review.

The professors finally came. However, Koizumi wasn’t able to come as well, and so they will be alone. Miyo prepared some tea, but when she opens the door, the atmosphere is tense. The professors are obviously not buying Takano’s thesis.

The parasite influence on human thoughts is simply overlooked. Despite Takano’s explanations, the professors aren’t satisfied as the number of cases are too low for any clinical evidence.
Takano is desperate and summaries his situation, obviously not brilliant compared to his “colleagues”. As he is a mere private researcher without any prestigious academic background without any support, his research is at its limit. As result, he is unable to tell if it is all the truth or if he was mistaken just like how the professors implied. Therefore, he asks humbly if they can’t provide some support so he would be sure of this.
The professors agree the fact this thesis might have a gigantic repercussion if it is true. However, they are quickly turning it into ridicule, as it is rather looking like a sensationalist theory than a scientific approach.
Miyo can’t understand this situation, since Koizumi blatantly praised his work before…

Koizumi is with his superior (?) and the later has something to order him, quite in a straightforward manner: he asks him to make Takano ceasing his research immediately. Koizumi is puzzled by this order, and asks some explanations. The man tells him in a metaphor that some people would be angry with the exposure of Hinamizawa syndrome, which might lead to many troubles.
Koizumi has no choice but to abide to this.

The men ended the discussion and gives the report back to Hifumi, but they dropped it. As they are laughing, one of them is stepping on it, which hurts Hifumi a lot. The man is then stopped. Miyo is clinging on his leg, crying, asking him to not step on them, as her grandfather worked hard on it.

However, she is slapped by Hifumi, and the professors leave.
Miyo doesn’t understand, and Hifumi apologizes, as her efforts would be wasted if he worked harder on it. Both are picking the sheets back, but a tear drops on sheet, and Hifumi tells her she can go and he will take care of the rest.
She leaves, but she is still really worried. As she closed the door, she hears her grandfather weeping. Miyo has a monologue about her determination and cries as well.

Miyo decides to do her best… and several years later, she graduated in an imperial university, praised for her wonderful achievement on the parasite field.
She is then contacting some organization by phone, and she got confirmation of Koizumi as a reference. As the call ended, she looks at a old picture, and tells to her late grandfather that she will surely make him a god. She will let no one being an obstacle on her path.

After the ending, Takano is visiting the Furude Shrine some time before the Irie Clinic is implemented. She mentions that if she didn’t have the 10 yen coin back there, things wouldn’t go that far. For this, she is grateful and throws back a 10 yen coin in the altar. However, the coin is deflected, and takano doesn’t understand how it could be.

Hanyuu appears, wrathful with her red eyes. Takano understands she is the local deity.
The goddess comments how a strong will strengthens fate to the point a unwavering will can crush fate, which Takano agrees. Hanyuu then says the reason why they couldn’t undo this fate was because of Takano’s tremendous fate. She then claims she won’t lose to her. She was taught that the power of belief will bring miracle which will demolish fate. She claims “WE won’t lose to your will!”. Takano begins to laugh crazily and is fine with this. They will test whose “will” will be the strongest among the two.
Takano claims she will not falter at all, and claims she will take her down out of her god status.

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Thoughts :

Takano’s past is finally covered. Much like I implied last week, I enjoyed this episode because it was portraying her past without trying to make her as a “tragic antagonist”.
Of course, it is tragic, but it doesn’t try to make her forgivable in a corny manner. It is hardly forgivable in any way, and her story was rather a big focus about how she was pushed to such situation.

That said, this episode fell kinda flat about the quality, which is somewhat understandable considering the content.
The character design was really whacky with the men in this episode. In several instances, Hifumi had issues with his proportions: having a bulky body while having a tiny head. This is very variable in the episode. At least, Miyo wasn’t affected by this problem. As for the animation, nothing outstanding, and something “meh” was noticed when Miyo tried to flee from her pursuers… rather a fool attempt to make it “fast” while it is skipping frames. Somewhat as budget as episode 12.

The BGM were kinda lackluster, and didn’t got enough emphasis of some dramatic twists and all. I wasn’t expecting game BGM anyway, but in this episode, the tracks weren’t really as good as previously.

Now the pace of this episode was rather very well done, especially the last scene of course. Speaking of which, even though hanyuu was definitely angry, she was not overboard or enraged. I believe Horie Yui did a sufficient job in her “angry yet confident” hanyuu, instead of simply yelling and going panzer.
I think Hanyuu in this scene must NOT go completely angry, as it is absolutely not exactly how she is feeling. She has hostility, yes, but considering her usual temper and her objective, she isn’t bloodthirsty towards Takano.

Just like i said in the previous episode, I’m still wondering why they skipped the scene where Miyoko was able to escape from the first pursuer (the guy with his bitten thumb). 

An enjoyable episode with some flaws, but nothing major and it doesn’t deal a negative impact on the enjoyement.

Now, this episode wrapped with the deep past, and the next 3 episodes will unfold the whole truth.