Higurashi

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Lenni Reviews: “Higurashi: When They Cry” vol 16 by Ryukishi07 and Karin Suzuragi

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Having done what she believed she needed to do to protect her father, Rena’s shocking deeds are discovered by her friends. All of them band together to help Rena since they regret not being able to save Satoshi in the past. They help cover for Rena and decide to forget everything so they can go on as normal. That is until the local nurse, Takano, stirs up Rena’s interest in Oyashiro-sama’s Curse then Detective Ooishi comes to investigate the murders of Takano and Tomitake on the night of the Cotton Drifting Festival.

With all these cycles, it’s Takano and Tomitake’s deaths which seem to be a fixed point. They end up killed the same way on the same night every time.

In this volume, we learn every resident of the village is infected with a parasite and that’s what’s making them hallucinate and kill people. Rena puts it together by reading this scrapbook Takano gave her before she was killed and now Rena believes there’s a huge conspiracy to keep it all quiet and the same people who murdered Takano are after her.

While I like that as a possible cause of all this, it all seems too perfect. Maybe I’ve had some of Rena’s paranoia rub off on me but I do have some doubts. Better keep reading to find out. This series it really good at leaving you enough questions to keep grabbing up the next volume. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Higurashi: When They Cry” vol 15 by Ryukishi07 and Karin Suzuragi

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Once again, Keiichi comes to Hinamizawa and has his cadre of crazy female friends. But this time, Rena Ryugu is the focus. Her parents are divorced and she lives with her father. On the surface, she seems happy but her father has been dating a woman named Rina and her resentment towards this new woman manifests only in Rena’s relentless scratching habit; which started when her mother left her father for another man. The only thing keeping Rena’s facade of happiness is her faith in Oyashiro-sama.

It seems I was on the right track when I thought this was a time loop repeating until it sorts itself out. Something different goes wrong each time and the summer of 1983 starts all over again with the same players in slightly different roles.

Mild spoiler? Rina is a dirty bitch and I don’t feel bad for her.

Ohe thing I have noticed as a theme in this series is a dual personality either in one person like Rena or two opposites in two different people like Mion and Shion. As far as plot, this is my favorite set up volume. Rena is very relatable and I found what she’s gone through and is going through very intense. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Higurashi: When They Cry” vol 14 by Ryukishi07 and Yutori Houjyou

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One by one, Shion takes revenge on those who hurt Satoshi. When Shion and Mion were born, one was destined to be a demon so Shion fully embraces the title; imprisoning her sister and going out of her way to make Keiichi paranoid and scared. But eventually, Shion will have to be stopped or stop herself from becoming a victim of the ‘curse’ herself.

So, it turns out the sisters were switched on the day when the next family head would be chosen – because they thought it would be funny – and the “wrong” twin got the demon tattoo and was groomed to be the heir to lead one day. From what I see, it’s this playing games with these kid’s heads in the first place that caused Shion to lose her damn mind. I’d feel bad for her bu tin the end, Shion/Mion was a murderer. It’s a shame she couldn’t just go off somewhere and have a normal life but whatever time loop thing is happening doesn’t seem like it will let anyone have a normal life. 3.7 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Higurashi: When They Cry” vol 13 by Ryukishi07 and Yutori Houjyou

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Driven to madness when she learns who may be behind Satoshi’s disappearance, Shion is out for vengeance; determined to expose the truth. Believing Keiichi will be the next to vanish, she sets him up as bait to catch whoever hurt Satoshi.

Shion is obviously broken hearted and after enduring an entire life of being a spare kid while her twin was groomed to be head of the family, it’s no wonder that hen her first bit of happiness is ripped from her by her family, Shion would lash out. Considering the entire town isn’t above murder, I can see Shion going to the lengths she has.

Also, as one of the big families, Rika is involved as well! The entire town is a bunch of murderous nuts using the curse as a cover for their illegal activities. It’s just a shame the kids pay the price for all this. But, it this series is anything, it’s unpredictable. I doubt the next volume will bring a conclusion in line with my thoughts. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Higurashi: When They Cry” vol 12 by Ryukishi07 and Yutori Houjyou

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After Satoshi’s abusive aunt is murdered, Satoshi is, of course, the primary suspect. In order to protect him, Shion reveals she has been pretending to be her twin sister, Mion, this whole time. As a result, Shion is summoned to the head of the family for punishment; as she was never supposed to return to Hinamizawa. Despite taking her punishment, Satoshi still vanishes and Shion is heartbroken. Now, it’s 1983 and Keiichi comes to town.

Shion has gone mad with grief and is convinced Satoshi is still with her somehow. Now, with this backstory, I can understand why Shion is crazy and seriously pissed off. Her and Mion come in direct conflict with Mion trying to be loyal to the family and Shion demanding answers about the disappearance of the man she loves. We don’t get to know exactly what happened to him but Shion is NOT playing around. She sees Mion has even the barest interest in Keiichi and she’s using that to get as mean and dirty as her family was with her. I can’t want to see what happens next. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Higurashi: When They Cry” vol 11 by Ryukishi07 and Yutori Houjyou

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Twins Shion and Mion Sonozaki have been raised separately in order to avoid infighting about who will be the next head of the family. But the girls managed to keep in contact and when Shion escapes her strict school to come home to Hinamizawa, she knows her sister well enough to impersonate her. While pretending to me Mion, Shion befriends Satoshi and develops a crush on him.

This volume goes back to 1982 before Sakoto’s older brother, Satoshi, “vanished.” He’s trying to get out of town to keep him and his little sister from being abused but apparently even thinking about leaving could invoke the infamous curse.

At this point, you’re not given any more of a clue as to what the curse is or isn’t. I’m glad to get Shion’s point of view on the Cotton Drifting arc but I’m not down with the rampant child abuse and neglect. Not fun to see.  But still an overall compelling series. 3.5 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Higurashi: When They Cry” vol 10 by Ryukishi07 and Mimori

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As we learn more about our characters, it seems every single one of them has some dark secrets and reasons to want to keep others from contacting anyone outside the village. But who are the strange men in suits keeping them from leaving and how does Mion know them?

So, now Mion is a badass swordswoman? I’m down for that but, how random.

This and the previous volume may not really be considered part of the main mystery but it is a cool little story. If  you’re familiar with the classic railway murder trope, that’s the feel of this story arc with the added bit that the town and Mion can make the dead talk…

This was off pace from the morbidity of the rest of the series but I liked it. Every series has its filler and as far as filler goes, I had fun and enjoyed the ride. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Higurashi: When They Cry” vol 9 by Ryukishi07 and Mimori

 

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After a gas leak killed the residents of Hinamizawa, the village has remained a ghost town for twenty years. Five people come to the empty village for very different reasons but when people start vanishing and cell phones are found mysteriously smashed, the group suspects Mion – who supposedly died along with the rest of the village.

This volume sets up the creepy factor much faster than the previous ones despite being considered a side story. Mion tried to bring some humor but this time the laughs are toned way down. There’s a strange sword Mion is carrying, she’s seeing the ghosts of her friends, the others around her are hearing that mysterious “extra footstep…” Very ominous. 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Higurashi: When They Cry” vol 8 by Ryukishi07 and Yoshiki Tonagai

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As Akasaka continues to investigate the kidnapping case with local detective, Ooishi, Rika continues to be strangely distant with her predictions of Akasaka’s misery should he stay in that town.

It’s not entirely a spoiler but despite finding the kidnapped boy, something horrible dow happen to Akasaka anyway; just as Rika predicted. And we still don’t really get why or how she can see the future or why the town is so keen on being murderous, creepy people who are determined to act as suspiciously as possible. I mean, even Rika has these moments of lucidity where she acts like a regular little girl but the rest are just begging to have police ask them questions. But I like this arc! 4 out of 5.

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Lenni Reviews: “Higurashi: When They Cry” vol 7 by Ryukishi07 and Yoshiki Tonagai

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This volume goes back in time to when the villagers were still protesting the damn project that would end up flooding the town. The grandson of the construction minister has been kidnapped and Detective Akasaka is called in from Tokyo to investigate. While in the village, Akasaka becomes friends with Rika Furude; a child who is believed o be the reincarnation of the town’s guardian deity; Oyashiro-sama. The residents believe Rika can tell the future and she strangely wars Akasaka to leave the town before something bad happens to him.

With an actual investigation taking place, this part one of an arc feels like it had more going on than the previous ones. I was anticipating more information on the town’s past concerning the damn project mentioned in previous volumes. Hopefully, the next will give me some insight as to what is going on overall. 4 out of 5.

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