Oh. Now I get it.
After finishing the fourth episode of Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni, there was a brief moment where I sat, scratching my head, wondering what the hell the show was trying to do. Then, it dawned on me, and the show’s coolness level shot right through the roof, left the atmosphere, up into orbit.
Dammit, I’m gonna enjoy this.
The funny thing is, the narrative seemed so straight-forward in the first four episodes that I don’t feel particularly inclined to go back and search for things I might have missed the first time around. I keep trying to think of potential red herrings or unexplained events, but come up empty. I have a feeling, however, that, if I did go back and watch those first four episodes again, I’d come to discover the show was a lot more subtle than I give it credit for. I just need to find the time, I guess.
It’s worth noting, however, that, as super creepy as the show is at times, I don’t think I find it particularly scary. Rena’s initial “freak-out” definitely comes out of nowhere, but by the fifth or sixth instance, it’s more funny than it is chilling. What did surprise me, however, was Keichi’s increasingly bizarre behavior (perhaps raising some interesting questions about the roles of the “victims” in the story?). In fact, the scene I found most intense in the show’s first act is the one in which Keichi freaks out, slamming a door on Rena’s hand, ignoring her pleading cries of pain. That was pretty out there, if you ask me.
I thought the sound of the girls being clubbed to death at the start was the most chilling moment, while the most shocking one for me was the nature of Keiichi’s death.
He died seem to slip into his paranoid state quickly, but I think I’d be scared to the bone if my only friends started acting like that. I’d say the shows’ beauty thus far is mainly in how there are just so many mysteries, enough to make one want to watch more and more.
How would you react to Rena grabbing that chain? :) You had a needle in your rice balls from her… she walks around with a big ass sharp object… has emo phases… and you know she did some wild things in her previous school.
I’m surprised he only did as much as slamming the door… I love this show - easily the best of this season so far to me.
I actually felt quite relieved when he beat the girls up. The whole time, they were creeping me out and I thought of them as the murderes, but I guess we learn they aren’t… but rather the curse (?) … or whatever was in that syringe… unsolved mysteries abound!
If Higurashi is a rocket, then I’m totally inside it. The only question left is: is it safe? Will it explode half way up there? Will it come crashing down with a weak delivery?
ummm, I didn’t “get it”.
It’s delicious, but I admit I squirmed a bit at the throat-clawing part.
I found the parts with Psycho Rena more humorous than scary though. As Rena laughed at a hysterical Keichii, I found myself laughing with her. In fact, anytime Keichii went hysterical in front of them, I found myself laughing at his cruel, cruel, fate.
The idea of having Keichii in a twisted animated form of Cluedo is entrancing.
Given the preview of Ep05, it looks like the next arc will be the Waitress in the Cafe with an Icepick.
(^o^)
Higurashi is easily one of my favorite shows in a long while. It has just the right, creepy atmosphere and increasing paranoia factor. Rena & co’s psycho moments are disturbing… and the ways ‘They’ are trying to kill Keiichi (or he imagines they are trying to). Then, the finger-crushing scene at the door… AAAIEEE! I flinched at that. There’s obviously a lot more to this than what they are letting us on. My current theory is that the girls are actually innocent and Keiichi is the one going psycho. Then again, it probably isn’t as simple as that either.