SPOILERS BEWARE S2 of Higurashi is broken down into only three arcs compared to S1 which had six but boy are they great and immersive. There is also the very first episode of the season titled Reunion which tells us a brief theory about how the three big families could have potentially plotted awakening the parasite to bring back the fear of Oyashirosama. This could have however ended up as a failure which resulted in wiping out all of Hinamizawa in a single night since everyone was already infected by the parasite but it was in its dormant state. This failed experiment could have suddenly awoke the parasite from its sleep resulting in killing its hosts instantly. As we see later in the season this theory isnt correct hence it was only a theory up to this point in the anime. This episode was set thirty years after the final episode of S1. Somehow Rena is the only survivor of the village but man does she look mature and beautiful but also incredibly sad since the tragedy that occurred in Hinamizawa was a great disaster. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/914574138335703040/unknown.png The next four episodes titled Disaster Awakening cover the first of three main arcs for this season which already gives us a lot of insight into who really are Rikas murderers. Already in the 2nd episode Rika is noticing quotes said by her friends in this current timeline that they would have said in previous timelines shown in S1 with that said its safe to assume this is the newest timeline chronologically speaking. This timeline also shows us Shion attending the Hinamizawa school which actually may be the first time shes done this as herself and not pretending to be Mion. In the 3rd episode Rika starts revealing her true colors which is noticed by Satoko instantly due to Rikas different personality this is the first time we hear Hanyuu speak but have yet to see her in the show besides the OP for now. It seems like around the 11th June 1983 is the Cotton Drifting Festival so on that night or a few days after Rika is destined to always die and it is her mission to escape this fate it also seems like she doesnt get many days to figure out this mystery in this timeline as Hanyuus powers are weakening with each time Rika dies and needs to be reincarnated. With that said Rika has supposedly been doing these loops for hundreds or potentially thousands of years so one has to wonder how she is still mentally sane after all this time. BTW if youve seen Re Zero then you will likely see the similarities between Rika and Subaru to some degree as I cant help unsee them. In the 4th episode we see Satoko going all out in trying to save Rika but seems like time is running out as the killers are getting closer and closer Rika accepts that her fate is sealed once more and nothing Satoko can do about it but that doesnt stop Satoko from trying her hardest for her best friend. Then in the final episode of this arc we are showed what really happened afterwards in the last arc of S1 the only difference being Satoko as the sole survivor compared to Keiichi from the 3rd arc back in S1. Right as all the pieces of the jigsaw came together for Ooishi Satoko was likely drugged since the hospital she was taken to was probably also being monitored by the organisation that killed Rika and with that its game over which results in Rika having to start yet another timeline onwards to the 1001st Hinamizawa. With the first arc concluded we finally got to see Rikas murderers in action but are yet to be shown their true motive till much later in the show so with that said it was certainly an insightful arc bringing plenty of new information to the table for the viewer. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/914575509868912681/unknown.png FYI there is a Hanyuu here but you have to look EXTRA HARD. The next eight episodes titled Massacre cover the second of the arcs for this season and set up the final arc of the anime really nicely. The 6th episode confirms that with each reset/loop back to the past Rika is given less and less time to resolve her fate as her and Hanyuus powers are diminishing with each reset. This was also the first true appearance of Hanyuu in the anime unless you saw her ghost in the 3rd episode like shown above. Thus far this timeline started the same as the 2nd and 5th arc of S1 but this time Keiichi made different choices to influence a different outcome likely triggered by Rikas words. Heck even Mion got the doll which prevents the inner demon within Mion from waking. The 7th episode shows us that not only Keiichi but everyone else is remembering glimpses of different worlds within this timeline so it is at this point that Rika actively starts trying to change fate by taking small steps here and there and thus far its working. The people with the van are her bodyguards but as we saw in the previous arc they were also in fact her killers but again their motive isnt revealed till later in this arc. During this arc even Akasakas wife is alive as he heeded Rikas warning from the past arc back in S1 which is important since he will be an important piece in Rikas game plan later down the road. The next three episodes focus on Satoko and releasing her from her abusive uncle as her uncle returns so Satoko goes back to living with him this is now looking like the 3rd arc from S1 but seems like violence wont be the answer this time round. Sooner than later all the good things occurring had to derail but Rika isnt giving up hope on this world just yet. Throughout the 9th and 10th episodes we see the prolonged battle against the child counselling centre prevail at last which leads to Satokos uncle getting arrested so thus far Satoko was saved without any violence occurring but will Rika be able to escape her fate in this world? 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/914576720428953600/unknown.png The 11th episode shows us that the grey uniform people with the vans are called Yamainu this episode also finally reveals that Miyo Takano is actually the true mastermind behind the 5th years Oyashirosamas curse or is it more than just this years I wonder?. Now with Tomitake dead and Miyo not an ally it leaves Rika vulnerable since these two supposed shields are now gone. Miyo also always put a dupe corpse of herself that supposedly was set alite and to fuk with the police further its been dead for at least 24 hours by the time its been found after an autopsy is performed which obviously doesnt make sense as we see Miyo alive and well at the festival across numerous timelines. For the longest time Miyo had us fooled as she secretly operated from a base where she couldnt be found. In the next episode Rika reveals the truth behind the Hinamizawa Syndrome to her friends and how its supressed by the carrier queen being Rika herself which adds up as to why she needs to be killed in order for Miyo to execute her plan of using it as a biological weapon to wipe out the village of Hinamizawa. At the end of the episode we see Ooishi on his way to protect Rika but he gets assassinated thus meaning the last of Rikas shields have now been eliminated. The 13th episode being the final one for this arc we see fate finally catch up to Rika but this timeline was the best shes ever had and now she should in theory know that Miyo is the mastermind if she manages to maintain her memory which would give her a huge boost in her fight against fate. Knowing that Miyo Takano is her true enemy gives Rika a huge boost in her fight against fate in the final arc or so Hanyuu says that the next reincarnate may very well be the last. This arc essentially should answer nearly all questions that the viewer may have had regarding anything concerning Higurashi and lays the foundations very nicely for Rika on how to finally escape her fated death of June 1983. Its also revealed that they werent able to make it count this time since Hanyuu didnt truly believe that they could make it essentially they were missing one final piece being Hanyuu herself but that wont be the case during the final arc where Hanyuu finally decides to participate in Rikas world rather than just observing. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/914578027848028170/unknown.png The final eleven episodes titled Festival Accompanying cover the third and final arc of this season while simultaneously bringing Rikas lengthy fight against fate to an end. In the 14th episode Hanyuu finally appears in the OP right at the end throughout the season thus far Rika had always been waving to her but she wasnt shown till the start of this final arc. This episode shows us a glimpse of Miyos backstory and how harsh her upbringing has been losing her parents in an accident normally I sympathise with such characters but after seeing that she is the mastermind and the murders she committed in the previous arc I simply cant on this occasion. The following episode concludes Miyos backstory and how she took over her grandfathers research which leads us to how we see many arcs end she wants to trigger the Hinamizawa Syndrome in full effect. Also as much dislike as there will be for Miyo due to her role in the anime I cant help but admit young Miyo was extremely adorable. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/914586504687407104/unknown.png The 16th episode shows us that Hanyuu is a spectator of this world as well and is constantly lamenting how she is useless and that shes sorry but shes meant to be some god or deity right? I wonder if an explanation will be provided at some point. Also it is Miyos strong will that ends up resulting in Rikas fated death from what it seems like so in order to prevail the belief of Rika and her friends simply has to be stronger in this world even Hanyuu has proclaimed that she will fight with belief which is a huge step forward as well. This arc is also one of the oldest as it shows us how the first gruesome murder of the Cotton Drifting festival occurred. The following episode shows that it was Satoko that potentially killed her parents? Presumably due to terminal stage five of the Hinamizawa Syndrome I suspect? Also we finally got to see Rikas parents It seems if Miyo wished for an event to occur it did for instance Rikas parents dying were due to her strong will to succeed with her grandpas research which could be a possibility. Episode 18 shows that Hanyuu is supposedly the missing piece in order to shatter Rikas fated death so in this world when we reach the time that Keiichi moves into Hinamizawa Hanyuu using her godlike powers finally also joins fight. The following episode Hanyuu is the true MVP remembering that Miyo is in fact the true mastermind behind the Hinamizawa disaster Rika doesnt remember the previous arc but chooses to believe Hanyuu since the latter has finally quit the role of bystander and decided to fight against fate. Up to this point Hanyuu would always lament how Rika shouldnt get her hopes up for a positive outcome only to be heartbroken when things derail. Rikas idea of a manga based on real events that will occur is pretty smart to get the whole group involved in her fight against fate without actually revealing that these events will occur till a bit later. Also since Im already on topic on Rika and Hanyuu I have to make note of it finally but Rikas nipaaa and Hanyuu auu auu are simply adorable. Especially the former always brings a smile to my face. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/914587476109164585/unknown.png In this world Akasaka also returns with him present all of Rikas pieces as they are referred to seem to now be set in stone for the final fight. The following episode the anime finally reached its peak Its finally payback time to Miyo and seeing her so agitated was simply marvellous and satisfying. Miyo and the Yamainu have been outdone by information warfare which seems like a really powerful weapon when used accordingly. Since Rika knew that Miyo is her true enemy on the battlefield she was able to fake her own death to prove that even after 48 hours of the carrier queens death the Hinamizawa Syndrome still wasnt coming into effect which would essentially disproof everything that Miyo and her grandfather had been working on for the past many years. We know her research is factual but playing information warfare like this was pretty entertaining. In the 22nd episode once Rika was captured and everything seemed lost badass Akasaka comes to the rescue those thirty or so seconds were extraordinarily satisfying for what they were worth so simple yet so awesome. Finding out that Satoshi is still alive in this world shocked me as much as it did Shion and well the following episode shows us whats really been happening to Satoshi when he suddenly disappears in all the arcs. Shions reunion with Satoshi was pretty heavy with that its now confirmed that Satoshi never actually died in any of the arcs that foreshadowed that to be the case he was simply taken to the underground sections of the Irie Institution to continue his recovery since hes likely reached terminal stage of the Hinamizawa Syndrome for which there is no cure at the present time. 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/914588148141522944/unknown.png In the final episode Rika survives at last and the ending minutes carry so much value I didnt notice the impact of them initially but holy damn its huge essentially it seems like Rika is a matured beautiful lady and instructs Miyo to go back to her parents as they are leaving and leaving on the bus that will lead to their deaths from the accident. As we know Rika had lived for thousands of years so by finally surviving her fated date of June 1983 was able to reset the whole world? This means that by the time we reach the accident with the bus Rika is already a beautiful woman and gives Miyo advice on a world where everyone can live happily. Even though Miyo was a villain for the whole series she still got a happy ending. Its hard to say she deserved one but at the same time she had already suffered so much pain that maybe she did need a lucky break? With this season concluded there are no more questions to be answered since Higurashi is simply a stunning anime that connected all the dots to form truly an immersive enjoyable watch. Oh and of course seeing a grown up Rika also carries a lot of weight after thousands of years and hundreds of failed worlds she was finally able to grow at last... 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/914588923441852446/unknown.png I havent had a chance to touch on the OST of either seasons yet but its certainly a work of art alright. This seasons OP really hits the spot and makes me feel like Im partaking in Rikas long journey as well the OP from S1 has a very ominous mysterious feel that sets up the anime beautifully and the ambiance and OST throughout both seasons played at perfect times is simply sublime. For the most part this season moved away from the horror genre and focused a lot more heavily on the actual mystery side which I enjoyed thoroughly. Higurashi will still be known as a horror to me since the fingernail scene from the prequel is still scarring. This season of Higurashi had done so many things right by connecting the timelines together so you can really see the whole picture of the series. From what I understand the anime is still only a fraction of the source VN and if I enjoyed the anime this much then the VN will truly be a treat to read at a later point. In the end Higurashi was a very immersive watch with very likable characters as well as outstanding OST. I do highly recommend this series 800https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/635602177833959439/914589804354756608/unknown.png S1 Reviewhttps://anilist.co/review/14343 S3 Reviewhttps://anilist.co/review/14488 S4 Reviewhttps://anilist.co/review/14514