Happy ending all round, yay for Rika and gang for managing to alter fate.

Still, Higukai manages to end with a bang, with that short sequence of an adult resembling Rika appearing before a young Takano and possibly altering her fate as well. Coupled with the announcement of a 3rd season for Higurashi… looks like the mysteries of Hinamizawa will continue.

Frederica or Furude Rika?

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Most importantly, who is this mystery woman that appeared at the end of this episode? Argh, they called Rie Tanaka to voice her and, damn, I kept thinking “Suigintou” all the while she was offering her proposition to Takano. Rie Tanaka has one awesome evil voice.

Oooh, evil!

P.S. Gotta love the HiguKai previews. “Disembowelment lover Furude Rika” XD.

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A short clip from the first HiguKai DVD APPEND Disc. Basically, it depicts and hints of adult Rena being an insurance agent, and trying to sell it to Oiishi-san.

God, that was so LOL.

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Oh wow, Hanyuu looks menacing and GAR during that faceoff with Miyo at the end.

So, Miyo’s past is revealed and we finally know from where her strong will came from. I can’t deny I pity with her past, especially when she was thrown in to that hellhole of an orphanage…. god, how can this places even exist? I really felt terrible for all those poor kids thrown there.

But still, it does not justify Miyo from taking such drastic actions just to prove the existence and her research about the Hinamizawa Syndrome. While I cannot deny her determination, but I guess her absolute determination has finally led her down a twisted path.

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Did I mention this is just not my day?

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T_T BAD END.

Oh well, they’re restarting the game with Hanyuu and Rika’s hax anyways. But I must say, Rena is pretty damn awesome. She managed to laugh in at Takano, while she was being pointed at with a gun. Respect points +10.

Ahh~ can’t wait for Matsuribayashi-hen. Hauauauauauauauau~~~

©2009 Kurogane's Anime Blog. All Rights Reserved.

From the last episode, it’s already revealed that the real perpertrator is none other than Takano Miyo, who is the leader of the Yamainu group. The episode starts with Oiishi-san talking to Rika about the discovery of Takano’s body, but the time of death does not match the time of her disappearance. Thus, Oiishi-san starts to throw suspicion the possibility that Takano is still alive.

Rika approaches Irie and a representative of the Yamainu with the news. The Yamainu tells them that the deaths will be investigated and Rika’s protection will be strengthened. Rika returns home worried, and the next day, decides to fake a fever to stay at home instead of school, where she receives a phone call from the Yamainu leader that Dr. Irie is the one that killed Tomitake and Takano. This arouses the suspicion of Rika, and she decides to call Oiishi-san that she’s receiving death threats and he offers her police protection.

A surprise comes in the form of the gang, visiting Rika. They overhear Rika’s conversation with Oiishi and demand to know what is happening. Rika decides to tell them, for the first time, about the Hinamizawa Syndrome, which affects all the residents in the area and triggered when the villagers leave the village or are put under tremendous emotional stress. Discovered during WWII, where soldiers from the village would go insane slowly after leaving the town and finally die from clawing out their own throat. The insanity is also divided in to multiple levels, where the patient’s level indicates the amount of psychosis suffered. She reveals that the Irie Clinic is a biochemical weapons research facility under a secret organization in Tokyo , specializing in the research of the Hinamizawa Syndrome as a potential bioweapon due to the fact that there is no known cure for it discovered, only treatments to suppress the syndrome up to Level 5 (Satoko’s level currently). Rika explains the Syndrome has been known since the old days, and the invention of the Oyashiro-sama Curse and the story of the Onigafuchi March was actually to explain the Syndrome.

But the group doesn’t understand why Rika is being targeted and Rika further explains that she, herself, acts as a neutralizer for the Syndrome. Apparently, the Furude family inherits a gene through their female offspring, that allows the production of a pheromone that suppresses the Syndrome in the people around them, which is why Rika is subconsciously revered by the villagers. So, when the pheromone source is cut off… the Syndrome will rear its ugly head and every villager carrying the Syndrome will go in to a psychotic rage. Therefore, the real trigger for the disease is to leave Rika’s side… or the death of Rika herself, as she is the last remaining person in the village with the pheromone.

In the Irie Clinic, Dr. Irie realizes that the research center will be closed and he hopes to research the cure before it is closed. But a surprising news comes with orders from the supposedly dead Takano…

At Rika house, Rika is surprised to see that everyone believes in her and they now know that Takano is the main antagonist behind the curtains. Happy with their trust and their willingness to be with her, she makes tea and tells them that she’s relieved to see them be with her. Meanwhile, Oiishi-san decides to head over to Rika’s house, but on the way, he notices a suspicious person opening the lock to the telephone exchange. He goes down to investigate with Kuma-san, but both of them are killed by headshots from a sniper…

Wow… a really good episode. Thank god for the other television stations who decided against canceling the airing this week. HiguKai remains one of the best shows of this summer and I love how nicely it is being treated compared to what the first season was. This episode finally answers a lot of questions, mostly regarding the true nature of the Oyashiro-sama’s “curse” and the real reason why Rika is constantly killed in all her loops. Comes as a real shocker, really, as the virus angle was explored in the last Answer arc of the first season, but yet, the Syndrome is still shrouded in much mystery.

Well, let’s hope for more answers the next episode.

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/me cups face and cries

Axe girl is soooo going to be remembered.

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“Save Satoko” mini-arc continues with Keiichi attending the village Watanagashi preparation meeting, where he finds out that the villagers are unwilling to cooperate with his efforts to save Satoko as they still perceive the Houjou family as “cursed”, even though no one hates them already. Spurred by this, Keiichi disrupts the meeting and manages to persuade the villagers and Kimiyoshi, the village chief, to join in their efforts, but one obstacle still stands in their way, the Sonozaki family.

Keiichi and gang then confront Sonozaki Oryou, and after a round of intense negotiation, Keiichi manages to get Oryou to support their efforts to save Satoko. With that said, the villagers start to campaign outside the Child Services office to help Satoko, but however, the Chief decides ignore the situation. As the battle starts to seem to become a long one, the intervention of the Sonozaki family manages to overturn it and the Chief finally appears to help Satoko, who is getting abused more and more by the day by her uncle.

Well, looks like the “Save Satoko” arc is coming to a conclusion. Many interesting things appeared this episode, with Sonozaki Akane, Mion and Shion’s mom, getting a nice share of airtime, as well as the first introduction of her husband and Mion & Shion’s father. The Sonozaki family definitely has some really strong political clout as well, as they really helped speeding up the process and even brought in a bigshot as well.

This week’s yokoku is worth a mention too, as it’s pretty funny with the narration about Hanyuu getting a postcard from a viewer concerning Rika’s age, due to her claim of living for over a hundred years already,.

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Continuing to try to save Satoko, Keiichi ropes in the whole school to go and complain to Child Welfare, yet their efforts are still wasted. Not giving up hope yet, Keiichi decides to rope in more people and manages to get the help of the baseball player who appeared earlier to gather more people to go with them to appeal to Child Welfare and even Irie, Takano and Tomitake join in as well, and the account of their inability to help Rika when she asked for their help. Keiichi is approached by Ooishi, who tells him that part of the reason that Child Welfare isn’t taking any action is on the account of the Sonozaki clan power, as they do not want to make enemies with them. Despite that, Keiichi still keeps his resolve.

The next day, Satoko unexpectedly returns to school, after knowing the fuss that they’ve caused. She tells them she had a fever, but no one believes it and tries to persuade her to take their help. Satoko declines and falls in to a panic attack, only settled down by bringing her to Irie’s clinic for her shots. Rika tells Keiichi that Satoko’s illness is a form of extreme paranoia, where she will see delusions that trigger panic attacks. Asking why isn’t Satoko being treated in a hospital, Rika tells that it’s because Satoko’s uncle threatened to burn Satoshi’s room, if she ever ran away, which is why she also doesn’t want to admit that she’s being abused by her uncle.

Later that day, Keiichi and his gathered friends go to the Child Welfare offices to appeal to them to take action. Keiichi, Irie and Rika are chosen to be their representatives to talk. Rika comes to a realization that even though so much people are gathered around, if she doesn’t take any action, a miracle will not occur and realizes the only way for her to save Satoko is to persuade her to admit that she’s being abused. Standing up, she declares that she persuade Satoko to admit her being abused, putting in her own hopes for this world as well.

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