Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai: Reunion

July 7, 2007 | 28 Comments

OP Theme: 「奈落の花」- Naraku no Hana (12.4MB, for PSP/Quicktime) by Eiko Shimamiya

I give up trying to find a high quality copy of the raw. I've put up the opening and ending for download but they are only in PSP format since the avi format is way to crappy to watch. As for the story, this is actually a reunion episode which is meant to bridge the first season with the original arc, Yakusamashi-hen and the last two original arcs, Minagoroshi-hen and Matsuribayashi-hen. They do this by presenting the informations that weren't included in the first season. These are seen through stories told by Asakusa, Ooishi, and Asakusa's kouhei in a reality based on the Tatarigoroshi, Himatsubushi, and Tsumihoroboshi-hen. Since I've pretty much guessed the real plot back then, it's kind of hard to be excited about the series. I'll probably still cover the second season but I think I'll cover it arc by arc instead of episode by episode. I do hope that the series can still fill me in on several plot points that I didn't understand in the first place.

30 years after the event that happened in Tatarigoroshi or Himatsubushi-hen realities, Asakasa Mamoru, who's now working as a police, returns to the now abandoned Hinamizawa accompanied by his kouhai. The two stop at the old bus stop to meet Ooishi, who used to work as a detective in the Okinomiya city. The three first head to Onigafuchi swamp, which is now has been completely sealed with concrete. Asakusa mentions how the lake is the area where the UFO supposedly landed according to a net report. The kouhai finds it unlikely since the swamp was the place where the poisonous gas leaked on June 1983. Highly vaporized mixed of hydrogen sulfide and carbon dioxide gases erupted in the swamp and killed everyone within one night. It was then that the self-defense force were called in to seal in the area. According to the report, it's actually useless to seal a gas area with concrete. Moreover, no other crater which has been sealed this way.

The same report claims that Hinamizawa gas accident was actually government's cover story to cover up the truth. The mystery maniacs believe that it was actually a biological-terror by the Aliens. The reason that they believe in this is due to a secret document called the 34th document. Before Asakasa explains what this document is about, however, he decides that they should go to the next place. The three then head to the village's hospital where Takano Miyo used to work. The 34th document that Asakasa mentioned earlier was actually a memo that Takano wrote. Her name, Miyo (which can be written with the kanji for 3 and 4), is the reason that the document is called the 34th document. Takano was researching the Hinamizawa demon and according to her, a UFO crashed into the Onigafuchi swamp. That UFO contained parasitic virus which doesn't exist on Earth. The people who got infected by the virus became violent so they were called "Demon".

Miyo believes that the virus is the truth behind the demon who came out of the swamp. The aliens from the UFO realised that the humans were confused so they decide to show themselves to the villagers. This was the arrival of "Oyashiro-sama". The aliens used advanced medicine to heal the villagers. However, they could only temporarily stopped the symptoms. Because of this, the aliens who were worshipped as Oyashiro-sama made a rule to prevent the disease from spreading. The virus has adapted to the Hinamizawa so when the infected goes beyond the village, their symptoms become worse. This is the reason why the aliens told the villagers not to leave the village. The alien in question is protected by the 3 great families of Hinamizawa and lived for hundreds of years. However, the virus soon stabilized and people no longer remember about the alien and the virus. This lessen the influence that the 3 familes had on the village.

The 3 families tried to rule the village again and started a research to duplicate the power of the virus. Miyo then got burnt down to death prior to the gas leak incident. She, however, suspected that her death was coming and gave her research to girl A. The girl in question was Ryuugu Rena, who took over the school and claimed that the 3 great families would start a bio-terror attack (an event which was shown in Tsumihoroboshi-hen). Asakusa's kouhei thinks the entire thing was just coincidence but Asakusa doesn't believe this to be the case. He points out the useless swamp revival project, the unusually long blockade period, as well as the frequent blood check of the defense force who sealed the area. Asakusa believes that this is for the prevention of viral infection. Asakusa's kouhei is horrified to hear this and tells his sempai that his blood check was just like normal blood check. Asakusa, who doesn't want to scare the guy, agrees with him.

Ooishi, however, has more interesting story and that is the possibility that there was no gas leak during the great disaster. It was all a cover-up done by the government. The proof is that the government released report reveals that Hydrogen sulfide should have corroded metals and destroyed nature but none of these happened in the village. Asakusa's kouhei refuses to believe that this is the truth and finds it hard to believe that the 34th document even exists. Asakusa, however, goes into a room and pull out several notebooks out of his bag. These notebooks are the 34th document he was talking about. Ooishi admits that when he first read it, it sounds like a fiction written by the nurse. However, now that he thinks about it, some parts of the story doesn't sound like a fiction. Having said that, the alien part is probably fake. Ooishi believes that in order to revive their glory, the 3 families tried to revive an ancient and deadly virus.

Asakusa really believes that the disaster looks like the consequence of a failed research. The virus that they research didn't make the family ruled the village but instead killed the entire village. Either way, Asakusa believes that the disaster wasn't a normal gas leak. Girl A warned them about it and many people died prior to the incident. The three then head to the next place, the village's school. In this school, someone has been waiting for them: an older Ryuugu Rena. Ooishi wants to talk to Rena about the 34th document since he didn't have the chance to ask her about it back then. The part about how Oyashiro-sama's curse is actually just a virus which has been researched by the 3 families. They planned to impersonate Oyashiro-sama, to make it look like he's been reborn. In response, Rena tells him that she doesn't know why she believed in that non-sense back then. She thinks it may have something to do with her family problem.

Ooishi, however, thinks that not all of it was Rena's imagination because Irie-sensei suicided with poison that night and Furude Rika was found murdered. Rena starts going emo until she calms down and tells Ooishi that she doesn't know anything except that Rika looked as if she was holding a big secret. She then takes them to the junk area, where one night, Rika found her sitting in the used trailer park. That night, Rika revealed a box containing a needle, which she claims will calm Rena. When Rena refused, Rika told her she doesn't care either way because the world will end sooner or later. She has no interest in this Hinamizawa because she'll soon find another Hinamizawa. Rena believes that the Rika she saw then wasn't the usual Rika, prompting Asakusa to remember that Rika behaved in similar manner when he met her. The four then go to the shrine where the dead body of Rika was found, prompting them to wonder what happened back then.

Impression:

Since I already figured out the plot by the time the first season end, all of the materials presented in this episode feels like an unnecessary diversion. However, for those who still have no idea of the truth behind the Hinamizawa incident, I supposed this will scramble their brain even further. If you don't mind spoiler, you can check the spoiler section of this entry. This is actually the theory that I jot down in the comment area of the last season one episode. If you don't want to be spoiled, then don't read it. However, let me just say that Ooishi was right when he said that the alien part is probably a complete BS. If you look at the overall plot, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is pretty much a standard science-fiction fare mixed with some supernatural element. The supernatural element is actually not that prevalent and only serves to facilitate the multiple world/alternate realities plot in the series.

If I compare this with a US series like Heroes, for example, the alternate realities are basically similar to the past/future realities that Hiro tried to change in that series. What interest me about this kind of alternate realities plot is the problems/issues associated with the alternate realities which are no longer 'true' or no longer occupied by the realities-travelling character in question, who is Hiro in Heroes and Rika in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. If there is only one 'true' reality, then technically the alternate world that has been left behind by the reality-traveling character should not exist any longer. However, this series has implied that Tsumihoroboshi's Keiichi, for example, remembers what Onikakushi's Keiichi actually did. This means for some reason the alternate realities remain intact even though Rika has said that it supposed to disappear after she moves on to another reality.

ED Theme: 「対象 a」- Taishou a (12.6MB, for PSP/Quicktime) by anNina

The ending theme is a pleasant one as usual. The title, subject A, seems to refer to Rena, who's been called by Ooishi as girl A. One thing that I always lament from both the opening and ending is how stylish and higher quality they seem, which is not a representation of the animation quality in the actual story.

Spoiler

This are the informations that I gathered from all of the season one plots and from information released by some posters back then:

1. There was a bioweapon research occured in Hinamizawa. The government wants to keep it a secret from the public.

2. When the dam project started, the very existence of the project threatens to expose this bioweapon existence.

3. During the dam project, people started to contract the disease and starts killing each other.

4. Takano and her men were sent to dispose the murderer in order to cover up the existence of the disease in the first place. They then kidnap the grandson of the minister to ensure that the project is canned.

5. It appears that the Sonozaki family is aware of the existence of Takano and her men but they are not really aware of her true intention.

6. When people in the village start to contract the disease and kill their immediate family members, the scapegoat for these murders end up being 'the curse of Oyashiro-sama'. It's the perfect cover story since the actual killer will be disposed of, leaving the situation looking like it has some supernatural causes behind it.

7. When Satoshi killed his aunt, he's suspected of contracting the disease as well so he's disposed of on his way to another city. But from the sound of the spoiler, he actually survived.

8. Ryuugu Reina was a girl who was taken into Ibaraki by her parents. The divorce of her parents, however, caused mental imbalance on her parts and the disease starts to affect her mind. It was during this time that she saw Hanyuu (the real Oyashiro-sama) who told her that in order to survive, she must returns to Hinamizawa.

9. Maebara Keiichi is a juvenile back in the city. When his father found out about this, he made the decision to move his family to the small town of Hinamizawa. During his research of the town, he saw the visage of two girls. One of the girls is Rika. The other is Hanyuu.

10. Sonozaki Shion is actually Sonozaki Mion whose true identity was swapped during childhood. However, ever since then she has no choice but to assume the name Sonozaki Shion. Shion eventually returns to Okinomiya city when she got bored of her dorm life.

11. The event of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni starts. Tomitake gets killed by Takano for disagreeing with her plan.

12. Keiichi contracted the disease in Onikakushi-hen. Takano's men fetch him and take him back home. Before Irie can give him the injection, however, Keiichi already killed Rena and Mion. When Keiichi claims that he saw Oyashiro-sama, he probably meant that he saw Hanyuu. Hanyuu is apparently the one who said "Gomennasai" after he slams the door on Rena. Keiichi dies by scratching his own throat.

13. In Watanagashi-hen, Keiichi doesn't give the doll to Mion, triggering the 'demon' (read: psychosis) inside Shion (because Mion's happiness reminds her of Satoshi). Shion goes nuts and kills everyone whom she believes was involved in Satoshi's disappearance. She captures Rika and Satoko, torturing the two of them before killing them. Shion then tries to kill Keiichi but for some reason manages to stop herself until that night when Keiichi brings out the doll (thinking that Shion is Mion). Shion dies when she tries to climb into her own apartment.

14. In Tatarigoroshi-hen, Irie and Ooishi get too close to the truth and are terminated by Takano's men. Rika ends up being killed by Takano inside her own house and her corpse is found by Keiichi. Satoko thinks that Keiichi kills her friend and pushes Keiichi off the bridge. Satoko herself gets killed by unknown assailant later on. The media claims that the gas disaster happened not long after this.

15. In Himatsubushi-hen, a cop called Akasaka gets too close to the truth. He gets to meet Frederica Bernkestel, who is basically the collective consciousness of all the dead Rika.

16. In Meakashi-hen, Rika knows that she's heading towards the same path that she experienced in Watanagashi. Instead of letting Shion torture herself all over again, she decides to end her own life instead.

17. In Tsumihoroboshi-hen a chance probability occurs: Keiichi remembers the event that transpired in Onikakushi-hen. This motivates him to save Rena and avert the disaster. Rika is moved by his resolve and agrees to help him from here on forward. They all fail once again because Rika got killed by Takano a few days after Keiichi saves Rena.

© memento 2003