Higurashi Sotsu - Anime Episode Discussion Thread (All Higurashi spoilers OK)

[MCAL]

Someone really needs to sit the anime team down and talk to them about how the inside of a human body works, because I don't think they quite understand. That was the only glaring flaw in what was another wise good looking episode. Really feels like Sotsu got a glowup in the art, animation and directing department.

At least it got the point the cross, which is that Satoko has become numb not only to death, but it seems to the very concept of death itself. I can't wait for her delusions to come crashing down on her head. Should hopefully be amazing.

[Klashikari]

I gave the benefit of doubt with the first two episodes, but I'm really concerned about Sotsu as a whole considering its structure and content by the end of Oniakashi.
Sure, certain parts were necessary to figure out what actually happened: people who knew about OG Higu could infer Rina was already dead since Rena mentioned about "happiness" during the Usoda scene and the family talk. By contrast, newcomers don't know about that.

But that's far as it goes. I understand the anime staff is trying to emulate the "kai experience" for the newcomers, but even for them, it is questionable. In OG Higu, Takano was always suspicious but you never knew what was the actual red herring since there wasn't enough info (corpse identifaction relying on her dental print data etc). But we already knew about Satoko by the end of Gou. It is actually worse because the series outright tells you how she could possibly do that.
So the fact Sotsu doesn't really reveal much is a huge letdown, moreso that it skipped the noteworthy part of Onidamashi (Rena and Keiichi's fight and the nurse). So in the end, it didn't even need to confirm anything since anyone could already figure out what happened in the damashi arc for the most part. And it is actually kind of baffling Satoko just didn't anything aside of the injection and smiling like a gremlin. I was expecting her to manipulate Rena so she could divert her hostility towards Keiichi while deceiving Rika in the meantime, but she was really that passive.

And I'm afraid the rest will be the same. Wataakashi will most likely do some exposure regarding Shion's life at St Lucia, the Oni tatoo and the Sonozaki. But the audience knows already the Sonozaki aren't bunch of ruthless Yakuza, so this one will fall flat as well.

[Marina2]

Only unexpected thing in ep.3 for me was that Satoko didn't kill Rika but Rika killed herself.

I wish Sotsu would do answer arcs in the style of Tsumihoroboshi-hen instead (Different story/plot that gives answer to the mystery in question arc).

[MCAL]

Originally Posted by Klashikari

And I'm afraid the rest will be the same. Wataakashi will most likely do some exposure regarding Shion's life at St Lucia, the Oni tatoo and the Sonozaki. But the audience knows already the Sonozaki aren't bunch of ruthless Yakuza, so this one will fall flat as well.

I disagree as there are much more unknown variables in Watadamashi than in Omidamashi. There's finding out when Mion was Mion and when she was Shion, there's what happened with the Looper Killing Sword, there's why Rika was killed when she was, why Satoko tried to accuse Keiichi of killing her, why Mion killed Shion in the end and why Satoko went to Mion to be killed, rather then just commit suicide herself. And there's also the fact that unlike Rena, Mion has never had an arc that was from her perspective, so there's potential for something more interesting there as well.

[Kanon]

This answer arc was almost a complete waste of time, with this episode being the worst of the three with so many re-used scenes. They should have condensed it in one episode. And don't tell they're doing it for newcomers, they already completely ruined the Higurashi experience for them with Gou.

Thankfully, the next arc should have more mysteries to answer, and might develop Satoko. The biggest mystery for me is why she stuck around after Rika was killed and later went on to confront Mion. She should call it quits as soon as Rika dies since she doesn't care about the fragments (other than her perfect one), so it's weird.

[Jaden]

Yeah there wasn't anything surprising here, except for Satoko's small reveal that she loses all her progress if she dies before Rika. That also explains her risky behavior in Tataridamashi-hen. She stays hidden until Rika is killed, but can do anything she wants afterwards. Playing with that weaponized parasite is still pretty risky, though. I wouldn't want to be alone with a L5 Rena...

[Jan-Poo]

Well, apart from the minor detail that Rika just killed herself and Satoko followed suit, the only valuable info we got is that there was absolutely no unreliable narrator in Onidamashi, in spite of the many speculations in that sense that people did at the time.

The unrealistic amount of blood and exaggerated blood splatters as well as the almost comical exchange of strikes between Rena and K1 are just something that the animators decided to do.

It is not conclusive, but I'm going to bet that it will turn out that there was no unreliable narrator in the other "damashi" arcs either.

Originally Posted by Kanon

Thankfully, the next arc should have more mysteries to answer, and might develop Satoko. The biggest mystery for me is why she stuck around after Rika was killed and later went on to confront Mion. She should call it quits as soon as Rika dies since she doesn't care about the fragments (other than her perfect one), so it's weird.

My guess is that Satoko went to confront Mion to make absolutely sure that Rika was killed rather than kidnapped or something. This episode made clear that Satoko really wants to be sure that Rika dies first and we know from Watadamashi that Rika's body wasn't found until after Mion died.

[Archon_Wing]

Dang Rika sure knows how to off herself.

Satoko's just a scrub.

[MeoTwister5]

In a sense, Satoko NEEDS to confirm that Rika is actually really dead because ending up with a different, non-looper Rika because "her" Rika survives defeats the purpose of what she's been trying to get Rika to "learn" at this point.

Unless she can return to a previous shard to finish the job, but that would muddle this mess even further than it has.

[Archon_Wing]

Yea if Rika manages to suicide bomb Satoko once and have Satoko die first, it's all over.

Also the OP/ED seemed pretty underwhelming. i guess the OP is ok. But I expected more given the singers. It is funny that Konomi Suzuki is singing for Higurashi though; I remember her from Re:zero xD

[Jan-Poo]

Originally Posted by MeoTwister5

In a sense, Satoko NEEDS to confirm that Rika is actually really dead because ending up with a different, non-looper Rika because "her" Rika survives defeats the purpose of what she's been trying to get Rika to "learn" at this point.

Unless she can return to a previous shard to finish the job, but that would muddle this mess even further than it has.

Since Satoko was able to see and experience all the shards that Rika went through, I wonder, is there really anything that would prevent her from going back in time on a shard she's already been?

However the moment one of Rika's friends die it's already game over. I think Satoko is pretty certain that Rika would never choose to live in a shard where she failed to save her friends.

Her main worry in this episode wasn't really that Rika would choose to stay in that shard, rather she said that she can't follow her if she dies before Rika does.

The actual reason for this honestly eludes me. Also didn't the suicide-murder that started it all a St. Lucia came at the risk of Rika dying a split second after Satoko?
To me this sounds a lot like a contrived rule that was added for plot purposes.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

The actual reason for this honestly eludes me. Also didn't the suicide-murder that started it all a St. Lucia came at the risk of Rika dying a split second after Satoko?
To me this sounds a lot like a contrived rule that was added for plot purposes.

Not to mention she killed herself tons of times to figure out the code to the safe, and to win the card game. Or was Rika not pulled into the loop by Eua yet? My memory is a bit hazy.

[Dextro]

Originally Posted by Jaden

Yeah there wasn't anything surprising here, except for Satoko's small reveal that she loses all her progress if she dies before Rika. That also explains her risky behavior in Tataridamashi-hen. She stays hidden until Rika is killed, but can do anything she wants afterwards. Playing with that weaponized parasite is still pretty risky, though. I wouldn't want to be alone with a L5 Rena...

That wasn't even a reveal. I'm pretty sure Satoko was told that back in Gou when she was given that ability.

Really the only thing we got from this arc was confirmation of what you could already reasonably assume (that Satoko injected Rena) or could easily surmise with some knowledge of Higurashi (that Rina was already dead).

[Jan-Poo]

Originally Posted by Kanon

Not to mention she killed herself tons of times to figure out the code to the safe, and to win the card game. Or was Rika not pulled into the loop by Eua yet? My memory is a bit hazy.

Ah good point, it probably has to do with the fact Rika is looping as well now, so that first suicide doesn't count.

The rule still seems very arbitrary though. Technically Rika already had the power to loop all along, but Satoko had the power to loop in a way that Rika wouldn't notice. Then the actual game starts where Satoko loops back in a way that Rika notices, but why exactly does Rika need to die first?

Originally Posted by Dextro

That wasn't even a reveal. I'm pretty sure Satoko was told that back in Gou when she was given that ability.

Maybe I forgot something but as far as I remember the only thing that Eua told to Satoko is that if Rika loops then she retains all memories of the loops and Satoko won't be able to undo that. This makes sense, as Rika retains the memories of the loops she experienced in the "sea of fragments" and so they transcend the single fragments she gains the memories from. So Satoko needs to make sure that she doesn't screw up and let Rika find her plot, but I don't see why it is necessary for Satoko to die after Rika.

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Maybe I forgot something but as far as I remember the only thing that Eua told to Satoko is that if Rika loops then she retains all memories of the loops and Satoko won't be able to undo that. This makes sense, as Rika retains the memories of the loops she experienced in the "sea of fragments" and so they transcend the single fragments she gains the memories from. So Satoko needs to make sure that she doesn't screw up and let Rika find her plot, but I don't see why it is necessary for Satoko to die after Rika.

I think it's a rule Eua added to spice things up. If Satoko couldn't possibly fail, it wouldn't be fun.

It doesn't have anything to do with memories. Eua claimed that if Satoko dies first, she won't be able to follow Rika to the next fragment since there won't be a Rika to follow.

[Liddo-kun]

episode 3:

saw the wall clock head bang vs knife stabs again. lol

so Rena did do that stare into the room.. creepy.

[AC-Phoenix]

Rena overdoes it a bit on the (s)laughter...

[FlareKnight]

All I can think when watching that over the stop stabbing fest is...what a waste. Makes me think to 'Cells at Work' and the terrible loss of good red blood cells.

[MCAL]

Preview Images for Episode 4 (Wataakashi-hen Part 1):
https://higurashianime.com/story/007_001.html

[blitz1/2]

Yea, I don't get this whole Satoko loop thing. So, which happens first? Rika has to die first or Satoko has to die first?