Well, my question after “Onidamashi-hen” is pretty much the same as after last week – does it really need to exist? I’m not sure we learned anything at all here, much less anything really essential to the resolution – though I suppose that won’t be certain until after Sotsu comes to an end. As I noted last week, Higurashi’s appeal is partly voyeuristic, and there is a certain intrigue in seeing these events from the perspective of knowing what happens. But I don’t feel as if I’d really have missed anything if this arc didn’t exist.
One thing I can say for certain is that I really hope this all blows up in Satoko’s face somehow, because this is way past her stated justification (as ludicrous as that is). She’s just a psychotic little monster who’s enjoying every minute of this (whatever sympathy I had for her in Gou is pretty much dried up). And one might almost say the same of the anime staff based on eps like this one, with their comically exaggerated fountains of blood (which of course K1 survives – “it’s just a flesh wound”).
What makes this kind of interesting is that I truly believe both Rika and Satoko are insane at this point – Rika as the result of her experiences and Satoko maybe because she started out that way. It manifests itself differently to be sure, but I think both of them have a distorted view of reality at this point, and I think the final denouement of Sotsu is going to come down to external factors, stuff beyond either looper’s control (and I don’t mean Hanyu or not-Featherine, either). That could prove to be quite interesting, but I sure hope these “answer” arcs like Onidamashi are over with sooner rather than later and we can get to finding out.
Anchen
July 10, 2021 at 2:59 amI have a feeling that it may not go how you want unfortunately. I think at least the first two arcs of Sotsu are going to be straight forward answer arcs to the first two arcs. Although compared to the original series I feel like the need for answer arcs is far less in Gou/Sotsu since there’s generally a lot less mystery to them because we already *know* who the “real” villain is and what they likely have been doing behind the scenes. That is pretty different from the first series where the main villain was hidden pretty well I think, thanks in large part to the syndrome that could make anyone the “villain” for the arc, but not the villain proper. So I’m with you overall in feeling like there’s not as much need for these answer arcs, at least in this way. That said I’m not against it, but given the episode count I’ve heard (15) which amounts to basically 1 cour with possibly 2 double episodes? I’m a bit worried about the ending resolution being satisfactory.
I have a feeling the third “answer arc” could encompass not only the third arc but all the other mini loops, and that probably leads just the final 4-5 eps for basically the final “arc” which I imagine starts from the gun/classroom scene again.
I really was also hoping that the gratuitous blood was a delusion, but with how Rika killed herself it seems they are actually playing it straight. That…just seems weird to me.
Guardian Enzo
July 10, 2021 at 8:31 amIf you’re right I may drop it for a while and come back, honestly. This arc basically gives me nothing to write about.