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This week kicks off with the gang in the classroom cleaning some old junk that they are planning to sell at the auction. Mion shows up with her box of homemade ohagi (OH SHI-). You know, those same ohagi that Keiichi freaked out over after getting a mouthful of sewing needle.
Rena offers one to Keiichi, and he does a double take – eh? This is kinda familiar, I don’t think I should take one from Rena! “But,” Rena whimpers, “I’ve never made ohagi before!” Rika’s ears perk up at this, and eventually coaxes the whole story from Keiichi – he feels like he had a dream about a time when Rena and Mion brought him some ohagi, which turned out too have a needle inside… Keiichi keeps trying to change the subject but Rika eggs him on.
Later, as they were dusting off the furniture, Rena mentions that his dad just got a new job. Turns out he was quite a scrub, lofting around unemployed while spending all the alimony money on this other chick. Because of that, Rena says, she’s been having weird dreams. Whoop, time for Rika to stick her nose in again. In her dreams, Rena murders her – afraid that she might feel compelled to take her actions into reality, she consulted Mion about what she should do. Well, you tell your dad (…) The conclusion of this story is that Rena talks to her dad, he leaves the woman, and order is restored.
Well, it’s a good thing she talked to Mion in the first place. So in this world, we’ve already avoided the Rena-going-buckwild ending, avoided the Mion-going-buckwild ending with the doll being given to her. Turns out Shion was having dreams of slashing Mion and Satoko, but that gets resolved too. Wait, so the solution to all these problems was to just tell people not to kill?
Perhaps this time, Rika says to Hanyu, with everybody’s subliminal memories, we can get out of this mess. Not so fast, Hanyu replies – better not get your hopes up. Wait, wasn’t she supposed to be the optimistic one? Maybe she’s just the complete opposite of Rika – her doppelganger, so to say. So the question remains, Hanyu points out, is why Rika keeps getting killed.
At the very least, at least there are people in the village who want to protect Rika. To nurse Tanako, Rika and Satoko are necessary for her research – so apparently, the death of Takano is a necessary precursor to get to Rika every time. Which means, for Rika to find out how to keep Takano alive is the key to keeping herself alive.
First things first. Find Takano. She’s not at the clinic, so Rika surmises that she’s probably snooping around that shrine, so rushes over. So get this – Rika understands that if Takano and Tomitake enter the torture shed on the night of the Watanagashi, they’ll be killed by Oyashiro-sama’s curse; convincing them otherwise doesn’t work as proven in previous worlds… so why not just let them in before the festival?
They should call this arc the “obvious answers to dumb questions” arc.
Anyways, Rika lets them in on the condition that they listen to her request. Takano wets herself from the excitement as she creens about Oyashiro-sama while Hanyu looks on, getting pissed off at Takano’s ignorance. Rika makes her request – increase your security on the night of the Watanagashi to prevent yourselves from being killed. Can she believe in them?
Later, the gang is at the game shop picking out more crap for their crap sale. Ooishi is there on his off day, hanging out for no apparent reason other than his creepy affinity towards underage girls. He challenges them to a dice game – if they win, they get something special from him. Mion wins the game after same major gambler girl fanservice. At the end of the game, Asakasa inexplicably shows up. Turns out that Rika’s prior warning to him about going back to the hospital worked out, and his wife was able to give birth without a hitch.
And so, Rika’s first direct success at altering her world based on her knowledge. Feeling good about herself, she flexes her loli muscles some more and goes to kick the motorcycles of those hoodlums. They show up threatening Rika, but the shady garbage men show up and chase them away. On her way home, Rika continues to be shadowed by them.
She has the knowledge. She has the power. Can she finally break free of the destiny that chains her? Hanyu doesn’t think so… too bad she’s probably right.
Thoughts
Hey, that was a pretty good episode. The animation quality was finally decent for a change, wavering hope was turned to an optimistic confidence, and for the first time in a long time, there’s a chance that things might turn for the better. Not to mention that pic of Mion in her gambler garb – smokin’.
It’s as Rika says – there hasn’t been a better start than the one given to them in this world. Tragedies have been avoided on almost all fronts due to the unconscious memories of the various characters, and Rika has finally started using her head instead of her little stone heart to make decisions, and so far it’s been paying off dramatically. Asakasa is back and Ooishi doesn’t seem like a complete dick, and with the addition of Takano and Tomitake as her allies, all the players seem to be in place to stage an upheaval of the natural course of tragic events.
But yea, something will probably botch up in the end and have it all go to hell. The question is – how will Rika respond? Suppose this one ends and the next one comes around – will Rika still cling on to her hope and increased experience, or will she just sink back into another arc of despair? If I were her, I’d be keeping a checklist of stuff I need to clear before Watanagashi rolls around…
-jaalin
looks awesome !
downloading the raw right now !
OMG!!! This episode looks sooo good.
https://randomc.net/image/Higurashi/Higurashi%20no%20Naku%20Koro%20ni%20Kai%20-%2007%20-%2025.jpg
Show Spoiler ▼
> Wowowow where did that animation budget come from!
Hopefully not from future episodes.
wow this is just wonderful!!!
Yay!!
I hope so… maybe one world they don’t die…
…not to dash everyone’s hopes, but…
The title of this chapter is “Minagoroshi-hen”. In other words, “The Slaughter Chapter”.
And we do have one arc after this as well… it’d be anticlimactic if we finally got a happy ending to this one, just to have another arc afterwards, wouldn’t it?
my guess is Rika is starting to gather her chess pieces for the final showdown now if only she realize who the enemy “king” is
https://randomc.net/image/Higurashi/Higurashi%20no%20Naku%20Koro%20ni%20Kai%20-%2007%20-%20Large%2025.jpg
:nosebleeds:
I just recently watched the 6th episode about Keichi changing destiny by not only changing the game itself but the giving of the doll, which i believe from what Rika said in the last episode of the 1st season that he is the key to all of it.
Also is it just me or was Hanyu somewhat threatened by Keichi? She was surprised that he was able to break the chains of destiny, and she had a look of dissapointment before disappearing. Rika on the other hand considered this to be once again a miracle and quite a good lesson for her that she should try her hardest to break the destiny thus giving her hope once again.
However, I was somewhat intrigued by Hanyu’s reaction to it, instead of being happy like Rika because of Keichi once again changing destiny, it’s as if she gets scared. My speculation about it is that: (I dont know if i should use a spoiler tags for just speculation, but i hope not) I think that she might be the one who is actually the reason behind Hinamizawa’s infinite worlds, although i dont think she is the one behind the killings, i just think that some organization made up of humans does that, Hanyu’s too cute to do so although i could always be mistaken (that rika’s nipah does show it’s deadly side much to my surprise in the first season lol)
Nagasumi> well, Hanyuu sure is unhappy but not because of keiichi’s,
she just sad to think that Rika once again put a high hope of this world (minagoroshi)just to be betrayed again..
Show Spoiler ▼
Go Go Go k1, though I know what happens from playing the games already, it’s still fun to watch. kekekeke. Anyways, more hawt Mion x K1 please. She wants to get in his pants so bad, it makes me wanna read the doujins out there over again.
The final Boss is Takano lo…whahhahaha
Akasaka makes his return!
Maybe this world really would be different?
Emo GUY: You really think so? wahahahahaha
everyone here thinking of hope of survival is “amai”. comeon the chapter name is “massacre”, everything will go to hell soon probly at the end or middle of the next episode.
>xcswmboy: Not yet. Satoko’s uncle hasn’t appeared, which will be the 2nd biggest event for this arc. I predict at least another 3-4 more episodes before they can conclude this ‘world’.
well, they are against some spec ops guys and determined mastermind commanding them, not even local police (Oishi and co.) can probably help them… and one thing happened to cross my mind, if Rena ever will be able to see Hanyu, she’s gonna take her home…
I wanna take Mion home.
I don’ think this is a spoiler, but this is just to clarify:
it’s not a diffrent world, for those of you who believe that. It’s actually more like a time loop, where a person have to experience everything over and over again.
Hanyu is the most ADORABLE little thing EVER!!!!!!!!!
i want my Rika-chan right now~~ nipah!!
Seems like Rena is molesting a table/stool XD
@Yyi: dude thats total spoilers, i didnt want to say that for ppl that dont know the plot. even by this episode Show Spoiler ▼
@hypertoast: i think it is parallel worlds, cuz each has some differing circumstances, like shion already appearing or satoko living with rika or satoshi not dying mysteriously or minor stuff like that. the time loop is just rika’s power that she can jump to a past time before her death in any world.
@GP: i wanna take both the twins home =P
The only true good ending is Matsuribayashi-hen.
This season has much better quality… I just wish they could go back and rework the first season like SHAFT does with their releases.
Also… I can help but wonder what they’re going to do to fill in 24 episodes. Are they planning to cover all the extra arcs and side stories?
IMO, 34 has been moe for two weeks straight now… ^_^
They all gonna die in dis Arc anyway, the next Arc is the final happy moment. Takano is really behind all dis, dun believe? see the rest all the way. She is the big Baddie, n Big Baddies always are the Twist of the Story.
Something just feels odd. But it´s diferent than usual. Now it looks like they could actualy survive this world. But I wont take my hopes too high. Just who are those man in white overals? Nippaah cant wait till next week.
Code 06: Did you watched it yourself (as in played through the original game)? Takano is by NO WAY the big Baddie. And who saids everything will end happily in the final arc lol?
Werera42: The pace they’re going is quite fine. Minagoroshi-hen is can probably cover at least another 5 episodes. And then since they can’t really animate the “interactive” part of Matsuribayashi-hen, they’ll just have to tell the story the straight way, which will end up quite long as well.
Good thing I’m spoiled beforehand or else I’ll be so pissed at some people right now. But I won’t be an ass and spoil the rest.
doing spoiling the right way – if anyone wants to know whats going on, read on, rest just not click spoiler link
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I like this animùe so much…
Great!
Please about the next episode 🙂
Man i hope this chapter actually turns out good for Rika, but i had sever doubts especially from the preview when they start to lose their minds ONCE AGAIN, and you can see Rika crying again, man poor thing.
I just saw sub, Rika’s determination has moved me greatly, but Show Spoiler ▼