Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai – 08
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The episode starts off with some unsavory characters busting in to the apartment of the pink haired chick – the one who hit up Rena’s dad for all his yen. Those guys got her cornered… up to your imagination what happens next, as we cut right into the next scene.
Rika can’t find Satoko – where could she be? Rika fears the worst, as it’s been all too familiar. Yea, Teppei is back, the scumbag that also happens to be Satoko’s uncle and legal guardian. He’s still as disagreeable as ever, and shows off his pitching arm by lasering an ashtray right at her. Satoko has no choice but to move in with him…
Rika hurries to the payphone (that same one Keiichi clawed himself in) and calls up the police station, asking for Akasaka. He’s not there (off to the onsen with his wife). Rika recognizes that if nothing is done, this world will just work its way down the same path. She won’t give up!
Next, she goes to see Irie and Takano, and asks them to call up the Yamainu (those garbage men) to take care of Teppei. Irie and Takano want to help, but understandably cannot call on the Yamainu to dispose of Teppei, as that is not one of their stipulations. Irie gives the ok to Takano to make some phone calls, but circumstances surrounding the Houjou household do not permit any action from being taken. Apparently, someone named Mamiya Rina (the chick at the beginning) was killed nearby, and any movement by the Yamainu will raise suspicion with the police. The earliest that the Yamainu will be able to take action will be after the Watanagashi. Rika goes seed-mode, but nothing can be done.
The next morning, Satoko isn’t there, and her classmates are worried and ask Rika what’s up. She walks out with that dark look on her face. Later, Chie-sensei talks to Rika, and decides that she’ll visit Teppei.
Chie-sensei gets totally shut down. Shion gets really freakin pissed because she was asked by Satoshi to look after Satoko, and this Teppei dude is screwin that all up. Shion starts going buckwild in the classroom, saying she’s gonna go kill Teppei and all that – but Keiichi stands in her way. Shion eventually settles down by taking a chair to Keiichi’s head. The principal and Chie-sensei come and say they’ll report everything to child services.
Satoko continues to deny that she’s being abused – it all comes from the fact that she believes she’s the one that screwed Satoshi over by relying on him too much, so she’s stubbornly refusing any help, thinking she can take everything upon herself. Keiichi gets this feeling that he killed Satoko’s uncle before, but knows that nothing good will come out of that. Still, he wants to help her somehow – Rena and Mion agree and sign on to cooperate.
Keiichi talks to his parents that night and gets some inspiration. He decides to head over to the child services center.
Meeting with child services, it’s clear that they are clueless of the situation and are too caught up in protocol to take any action. Everyone’s pretty down at this, and Keiichi apologizes to Rika, saying that he can’t do anything.
Rika gets pretty pissed off at this and makes her final plea to Keiichi. Now how can anyone turn down that crying face? He gets another boost of energy and decides to pull out his trump card – something he’s good at!
We’ll have to wait until the next episode to see just what that is.
Regardless, while Rika has completely lost hope, everyone else seems to be just peachy. She gets the best possible start to a world that just might be the one to get her out of this slump, and the first snag she hits she goes completely useless. This is odd to me.
After all, don’t these problems just seem a bit too juvenile, and the consequences too drastic? Something as simple as a video camera capturing one of the million examples of Satoko abuse we have seen would be enough evidence for child services to take immediate action. And yet, the options Rika goes for are shallow, undeveloped, and while believable on the surface, end up being no more than child’s play as she gives up without a fight.
edit: I take that part about the video camera back – forgot it’s 1983, lol. my point still doesn’t change, though!
Isn’t Rika supposed to be really damn old? She should be a pro at playing Higurashi by now, and yet it’s just more of the same. She’s got all the bad aspects of a child – the endless whining, the lack of resources, the short temper – and none of the traits of an adult that would help in this situation, things like discretion, reason, and even some deliberation.
So that’s what this arc, and maybe even the entire season in general, comes down to. For a series that touts an intricate storyline and alternate endings after alternate endings, such is only possible if the viewer buys in to the weak problem solving ability of Rika. It’s not a bad show by any stretch, but such gaping holes in its storytelling is an alarming symptom.
So, no… I refuse to take this show seriously if it requires me to suspend my thought process THAT FAR in order to make it believable. Sorry.
-jaalin
August 23, 2007 at 9:34 pmGStrike-
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FTP!! RAWR oh noes!
August 23, 2007 at 9:36 pmSyaoran Li
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Shimatta… despiar is back…. damn it!
August 23, 2007 at 9:41 pmThatguy
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Show Spoiler ▼
August 23, 2007 at 10:07 pmSniper
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Everything is getting some damn amazing. You can tell that Keiichi or family member will probably adopt Satoko.
August 23, 2007 at 10:11 pmxcswmboy
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well its started, finally, the uncle is back. i was getting pissed at all the nice and perfect scenario knowing that it’ll just end soon. well, the next chapter will be a happy one.
August 23, 2007 at 10:32 pmlouis1552
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did she just tell everthing the story friend and family? it seen amazing and idon’tknow what going to happen next?
August 23, 2007 at 11:08 pmbanzemanga
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Yes, it is getting better. They at least know how to leave the most suspensive part at the end. But still, it just is incomparable to the first season. It makes me wonder whether this season was made by the same staff the of the first season.
August 23, 2007 at 11:25 pmewok
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well, we are too spoiled by now, but it still great series…
Show Spoiler ▼
August 24, 2007 at 12:00 amfrubam
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Look at Keiichi in the 17th pic. GAWD he looks like he took a hit to the head and loved it O_o
August 24, 2007 at 1:04 amChicle
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I missed the deranged faces so much.
August 24, 2007 at 5:02 amSpin Gai Gu
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Whoo. Can’t wait for this ep., but I feel so bad because I’m sure this arc will end badly again. But it looks like Keiichi is remembering his murdering of Satoko’s uncle. I love it when he remembers stuff and becomes awesome for it.
August 24, 2007 at 6:36 amMaxmilian
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Oy Oy Oy man So everything is screwed up again? Dude I had my hopes pretty hight this time. But they´re not dead. (yet) I still hope it will be good ending this time. Can´t wait for the subs.
August 24, 2007 at 8:08 amRinkun
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cant wait until next arc which should be the last ^_^
August 24, 2007 at 10:07 amGP
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Poor k1, chair to the head.. The guy doesn’t get any breaks. I hope Mion took care of him personally though. kekekeke
August 24, 2007 at 9:15 pmGil
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Who’s that in the first picture?
Don’t remember someone like that.
August 25, 2007 at 5:16 amShiNN
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Jaalin, you’re forgetting that it’s set in 1983. While there’s no doubt video cameras could be purchased, I also highly doubt that in 1983 there could be small, portable video cameras that one could bring along without being noticed, or that could be hidden. Not to mention that it’s a rural village as well. Of course, if it was set in nowadays society, we’d have small cameras, microphones, and whatever comfortable and pocket devices to spy and and gain evidence to prove Teppei’s abuse on Satoko.
August 25, 2007 at 6:06 amewok
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dont worry, Teppei will get eventually kicked out of Hinamizawa, but he isn’t the real problem of this “world incarnation”… but we will finall see mastermind behind Hinamizawa “gas disaster” soon…
August 25, 2007 at 6:40 amKlashikari
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“Regardless, while Rika has completely lost hope, everyone else seems to be just peachy. She gets the best possible start to a world that just might be the one to get her out of this slump, and the first snag she hits she goes completely useless. This is odd to me.”
This is because, Rika said already that whenever Teppei come back to Hinamizawa, this world is doomed. Teppei not only generates despair for Satoko, and so to Rika, but also is a huge factor for RULE X, so madness. Even Keiichi, the most “reasonable” of the gang can be affected, and go panzer (tatarigoroshi-hen)
Furthermore, 3 problems arise :
-Satoko reluctant to ask help, and even pretend there isn’t anything
-Satoko lied before on some child abuse reports in the past (as said in this chapter and in Tatarigoroshi-hen)
-the third problem will be revealed in the next episode
as you can see, the 2 first points prevent anything to be resolved. and as far as you can see, all Rika trump cards except her friends have been wasted because of silly reasons. (be it onsen or teppei being marked by the police)
Therefore, the new powers she gained just proved to be utterly useless for now and even for the future, which were the points why Rika’s hope collapsed.
this is the core reason why the story shifted so dramatically from hope to despair. It is unrealistic enough to pretend “situations must be gradually sulking into batshit in order to make sense”. The factor itself (teppei) is a huge upside down, and a slow change in the situation isn’t logic for Higurashi. Also, keep in mind that despite Rika’s high hopes in the start, she was so jaded from the previous worlds + the urgency (barely 2 weeks) that any hard reality can simply shatter her aweakened mind. I don’t think you can go panzer after living 100 years of shit, then getting stabbed right from the bat after a possible hope, near of your death.
also, keep in mind that Rika wasn’t like this from the beginning. her “tireness” appeard lately in the story, as suggested by Yakusamashi-hen. I don’t think everyone can pretend to stay calm, when you are looping the same thing over and over again, when you got owned like this all the time.
August 25, 2007 at 6:45 amann
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I also don’t get your complaints? Teppei coming back is death to the world in general. He’s a seriously bad omen. Go back and listen to what she said before. Teppei coming back is the worst possible thing that could ever happen. His coming back has always been the worst world. When that does happen she totally in a way loses it after having her hopes so high. It’s also not like she automatically loses it, but she can see things falling apart when she can’t get any help. I don’t see how the story is general is about Rika’s problem solving at all. It’s 1983 in rural Japan. What are a bunch of children supposed to do? What they are doing I guess.
August 25, 2007 at 7:53 amShippoyasha
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You’re being wayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy too critical of it all, Jaalin. It’s not exactly a really brainy show/game to begin with. In the end, it’s still a supernatural suspense. Plotholes are the norm. Just run with it.
August 25, 2007 at 11:42 amLikkun
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Jaalin, you’re forgetting one of the more important facts, that being the head families that oversee the village. It’s best to also do that math of what everyone knows about them and how it causes certain problems, especially involving Satoko.
Nonetheless, everything should become clearer next episode. I expected them to pace this section a bit faster but I guess it is one of the more crucial sections in this game’s arc. That and of course what follows.
August 25, 2007 at 1:10 pmjaalin
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good point about 1983, totally forgot about that lol
still, its just an example of what could be done. i just cant get over the fact that rika has been through this cycle for decades and still hasnt figured it all out. i mean, how stupid IS she?
but your all right, im being too critical. best not to overthink stuff like this.
August 25, 2007 at 2:44 pmKlashikari
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This is because the cycle isn’t predictable in its execution. While Rika has already get through of many cycles before, all of them aren’t exactly the same, and on each of them, points are against her, considering her status, her physical abilities and the problems which aren’t under control (How keiichi learn the truth, If Rina dies or not etc)
Having multiple “try again” doesn’t mean you can get better and better, especially if you don’t get anything through each worlds except memories. if “changes” don’t happen, nothing can be done.
And if you finally add the mental exhaustion through the years, no wonder how Rika ends up like this. Again, you must take into account she gots shit through 100 years, without any much things to hope after all. (the only first miracle is Keiichi’s memories in Tsumihoroboshi-hen, which happened just before Minagoroshi. That’s mean she got through over 100 years without any kind of miracle. you can deduce how miserable this huge cycle was)
August 25, 2007 at 2:52 pmshadowlancer
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The way i see it is that even though rika is Old beyond years. but thats only in terms of experience. If you think about it her mind and body is still of that of a young child. Her brain is probably not developed enough. I know that sounds crazy but if you think about it there are other anime and shows where a chracter is really old but due to the fact their body age slowly even if there are 200+ years old they still have the mind of a 12 year old. One example is if you read the zero no tsukaima novels side stories you would know that this theory applies to the dragon that Tabitha summoned.
August 25, 2007 at 3:08 pmjaalin
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good point shadowlancer
but how do you explain that deep voice of hers lol
maybe vocal cords get longer with time travel!
August 25, 2007 at 3:43 pmewok
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well, Rika’sworst problem is that despite all the accumulated wisdom, she is treated by everyone as a child, therefore nobody will heed her warnings, and with body of grade schooler she doesn’t have physical ability to fight back herself… and she never remembers last minutes before death hence no knowledge of whom she can trust…
August 25, 2007 at 4:45 pmKyokii
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“After all, don’t these problems just seem a bit too juvenile, and the consequences too drastic? Something as simple as a video camera capturing one of the million examples of Satoko abuse we have seen would be enough evidence for child services to take immediate action. And yet, the options Rika goes for are shallow, undeveloped, and while believable on the surface, end up being no more than child’s play as she gives up without a fight.”
Camcorders in the 1980s were huge. Remember, this is 1983 we’re talking about.
August 25, 2007 at 8:47 pmDreak
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wow great episode!!!
August 26, 2007 at 3:36 amDmo
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Like a noob playing Contra with the konami code >_>… Just means that they’ll die 27 more times
August 26, 2007 at 10:53 pmGaret
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“still, its just an example of what could be done. i just cant get over the fact that rika has been through this cycle for decades and still hasnt figured it all out. i mean, how stupid IS she?”
Apparently, the chances of Teppei coming back is pretty low. Low enough for her to have forgotten all about it while she was worrying about all her friends’ personal problems.
August 27, 2007 at 11:10 pmHarisen
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Was just reading a post somewhere else in the blog where you said you hadn’t watched the first series… Shame on you… To be honest these last few episodes would have been incredible if you’d done so ^^;
August 28, 2007 at 11:25 pmewok
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They should have done it as a 52 ep. marathon…