Higurashi Gou - Anime Episode Discussion Thread (OG/Kai spoilers OK)

[The Green One]

Does Satoko know or understand that fragments continue after she's done with them? Maybe, maybe not. But you also have to consider she may simply just not care.

[Kanon]

Although being able to remember other worlds is definitely a factor, the main reason Takano gives up on her plan is because she finds a letter by her grandfather that had been sitting there in that album all along. That's such horrible writing.

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

What we didn't know for sure was if Satoko was aware that the fragments keep existing after she loops. Apparently she doesn't, or if she does she convinced herself that they don't. Eua didn't say anything, maybe because it's more convenient for her if Satoko just keep thinking that way.

Oh, she knows. She just doesn't care about those worlds, because the only one that matters to her is the one where she'll live happily ever after with Rika in Hinamizawa.

[Gerard07]

By the way, week there is a chapter or will we have to wait for the second season in July?.

[MCAL]

Originally Posted by Gerard07

By the way, week there is a chapter or will we have to wait for the second season in July?.

Nothing new until July.

[Thunder Book]

This is just such a weird note to end a season on, even with more coming down the line.

Like honestly I'm almost tempted to say last week's episode about Teppei was a more reasonable note to end the season on than this stuff with Takano.

[Liddo-kun]

episode 24:

why did Satoko seem to turn into Satou (Happy Sugar Life). lol

yandere..

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Now that the show ending the season with my favorite villain Takano, I don't feel like complaining too much .

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

What kind of third rate password system gives you an error the moment you type a single digit wrong? I suppose it's made it so it locks itself immediately in that case, but it should still wait for the full password.

I mean, do we really know how the suitcase security of 1983 Japan's secret organization really work?

Originally Posted by Kanon

Although being able to remember other worlds is definitely a factor, the main reason Takano gives up on her plan is because she finds a letter by her grandfather that had been sitting there in that album all along. That's such horrible writing

I'd say it's par for the course for Higurashi. It's not mind-bogglingly bad, really. She swore not to open the album but her "bad dreams" drove her into opening it. The letter is just a final push, really.

[FlareKnight]

It is somewhat funny how the writing bends over backwards to help Satoko out. Her Uncle being evil might make a few arcs more troublesome for her so he's a good guy now. Takano was an unstoppable menace in the original? Well she gets stopped by a few dreams and a convoluted letter situation.

Thanks Gramps, your precious 'granddaughter' became a mass murderer over the course of hundreds of worlds because you couldn't be bothered to hand her a letter .

[Jan-Poo]

To be honest before this last episode I started to wonder why would Satoko even need to take Takano out of the picture. Her plan was to break Rika's spirit, so having to face Takano plus some random variable would work even better. I had previously speculated that perhaps it was necessary in order to obtain the virus for herself, but it looks like Satoko would have been able to obtain it anyway.

Of course Satoko would still need to neutralize the Takano threat in order to have her ideal scenario in the end, but she already knew how to achieve that thanks to Rika's 100 year loop.

In the end Takano's change of heart is mostly inconsequential to the plot, I guess at least it served the purpose of hinting that she wasn't the mastermind this time.

Anyway I think there's a lot more going on behind the scene, the Sotsu arc would hardly be justified if it was just about showing the answers to the Damashi arcs and how the situation will develop between Rika and Satoko. Plus at this point it is pretty much confirmed that Satoko has nothing to do with the missing sword, she doesn't seem to be even remotely aware of its existence. Unless Ryuukishi is simply going to handwave the fact that according to Hanyuu the sword should be there and it's not, it would mean someone else removed it, and it's probably someone who knows its power.

[Liddo-kun]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

What kind of third rate password system gives you an error the moment you type a single digit wrong?

probably for plot convenience. That kind of password system was used by the writer, so Satoko could easily open it.

[Obelisk ze Tormentor]

Originally Posted by FlareKnight

Thanks Gramps, your precious 'granddaughter' became a mass murderer over the course of hundreds of worlds because you couldn't be bothered to hand her a letter .

On the other hand, I don't think the gramps ever thought that Takano will never open the album again .

[maximilianjenus]

Originally Posted by Liddo-kun

probably for plot convenience. That kind of password system was used by the writer, so Satoko could easily open it.

errr, its 80s technology. it makes sense if you were there, i was surprised it was electronic at all, but it serves a purpose to show it as hi tech.

about satoko taking.takano out.. err...it was the oposite, satoko benefits from takano being in, takano being out goes against satoko. the whole point is that in this set of universes takano ia out and rika always gets her happy ending and satoko is always miserable because she is gay.

now its about satoko creating a world where her girlfriend does not dump her, while she is fundamentally wrong about some thingsz she is correct that if she creates a world like that, a set of universes where ahe and rika are together will exist, just like the dead end set where rika dies and the wet where rika goes to st lucia exist.
( steins gate and musakiiro no qualia make good points on how looping works in an universe scale)

regarding the umineko connection, its like the og higurashi was ww1, umineko is the cold war , so gou and sotsu are wwii, so if you eont care about umineko/cold war new higu is still good, but for the umi/cold fans, its great to see how thing got set up for the next story.

Spoiler for umineko anime spoilers:

it was a very shocking scene, when bern and lambda , whom were supossed to be enemies, are, in the last scene of the anime, just frolicking around on the same bed laughing and having fun like a pair of lovers.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by maximilianjenus

about satoko taking.takano out.. err...it was the oposite, satoko benefits from takano being in, takano being out goes against satoko. the whole point is that in this set of universes takano ia out and rika always gets her happy ending and satoko is always miserable because she is gay.

That's Satoko mistakenly thought, until she realized Takano wasn't needed at all as long as she could steal the virus for herself. With it, she can easily make Rika's life a nightmare.

[Alchemist007]

It was a different kind of show to say I enjoyed but the last episode was IMO a strange note to end on after the build up was for other characters. I suppose it's not really done yet at least.
7/10 for the season.

[Dark Wing]

Alright finally got around to watching the final episode and I have to say this has been quite an interesting sequel. I will obviously be back for SOTSU in July because I got to see how this ends.

I'm teetering between a 8 or 9 out of 10. Being a long time fan of Higurashi I'm kind of glad it just try to be a remake treading the same old ground. However some things could've used some work. Like during the twist episode instead of Satoko ducking as soon as she saw the present. It would've made her slip up way more believable had Satoko ducked for cover right after opening it thinking it was a trap like last time. Other than instances like that really good show to me.

Now the thing I noticed many people across the internet are taking about is Satoko and her change in character.

I feel people are having a hard time grasping the idea of alternate dimensions and time-lines that have been part of this series since it's beginnins. The Satoko everyone remembers still exists in a different time and place. The one we're following now has embraced the power of a looper and having experienced Rika's past lives is a completely different person as a result.

Growing up with all that trauma and no real way of dealing with it. Having Rika the only family beside her comatose brother and abusive uncle seemingly abandon her. Then suddenly gaining what amounts to the power of a God. Is any wonder she's lost herself?

Personal I'm of the belief that if Satoko never got this power she may have come to terms with the fact that Rika is moving on without her and she too would've moved on with her life as well.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Dark Wing

Personal I'm of the belief that if Satoko never got this power she may have come to terms with the fact that Rika is moving on without her and she too would've moved on with her life as well.

I'm more of the mind she would have killed Rika and then herself.

[Jan-Poo]

We have already been through that. Satoko took the decision to kill Rika after a single loop. At that point the only traumatic experience she had suffered (that the Satoko we knew didn't already) was merely the "betrayal" of her best friend and the hostile environment of St. Lucia. The latter hardly can justify Satoko's change of heart since that's absolutely nothing compared to what she had to endure when she lived with her Aunt.

Additionally Rika had lived through 100 years of loops and experienced far worse dramatic situations and while she became jaded and lost her childish innocence she didn't become a psycho.

[The Green One]

I don't think you get a pass on murdering your friends and loved ones just because you had a legitimately harsh childhood.

[Dark Wing]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Additionally Rika had lived through 100 years of loops and experienced far worse dramatic situations and while she became jaded and lost her childish innocence she didn't become a psycho.

It's true that Rika has gone through hell and back while still holding on to what humanity she had left. Which shows a level of mental fortitude that Satoko frankly never had.

Satoko has always had someone trying to looking out for her. Be it her older bother or other club members. They tried everything in their power to alleviate some of that mental pressure. Now feeling more isolated then she has in years while foolishly hoping Rika comes around to her line of thinking she starts to break again.

Satoko basically selling her soul for god like power from an obviously shady being without even thinking about it or instead of learning to cope with reality and move on just shows me how weak willed she is which makes the tragedy of her story so much sadder.

Originally Posted by The Green One

I don't think you get a pass on murdering your friends and loved ones just because you had a legitimately harsh childhood.

I'm not saying she should get a pass just trying to help make sense of her madness and that this Satoko isn't same person anymore since she got these powers. Hell I don't think she could be considered human anymore either.

[MeoTwister5]

There are few things more terrifying than a yandere who can cross space and time.

I suppose also that she'll steal an ampule of H173 in each shard since she only stole one in this one.