Higurashi: When They Cry – GOU

Episode 21

We get some answers and a handful of allusions in this week's episode of Higurashi. Featherine/Hanyū speaks cryptically about having met Satoko before under the names "Vier," "Mitsuyo," and "Anomalous Spinal Cord Specimen LD3105" and mentions a "land of the red sea."

Since what takes place in this episode is pretty straightforward, lend me your patience while I do some Higu-sleuthing. Yes, we're talking about witch lore again. So the bit about Lambdadelta's alternate identity I brought up last time mentioned that she was originally assumed to have some connection to Miyo because of the kanji in her name. To be more specific, Ryukishi07 likes wordplay and numbers are a reoccurring theme. Miyo's given name is written "三四" which can also be read as "34." That number reappears in several places, including in the name Featherine calls Satoko, "Mitsuyo." Lambdadelta is also "34" in Greek. The repetition of this number suggests some kind of relationship between Miyo Takano and Satoko Hojo or a weird obsession with the number 34.

The Vier and spinal cord bit are both references to Ryukishi07's new game, Ciconia no Naku Koro ni and connect back to the numbering mentioned above. The character Vier's full name is Vier Dreissig, a reference to the German word "vierunddreißig" or 34. Surprise surprise, the character looks exactly like Miyo Takano. Now, I'm not up-to-date on the story in Ciconia so I don't know what the spinal cord specimens ARE, but the code seems to be "LD" for "Lambdadelta" and "3-10-5" can be read as "Sa-to-ko."

If Satoko ends up being the biological result of some kind of Takano cloning project or if Lambadelta turns out to be some kind of genetic fusion of the two, I'll eat my hat.

After Featherine's cryptic speech, she grants Satoko the ability to loop and says she'll continue to do so until her wish is granted. This is particularly worrisome because unless Satoko's wish doesn't necessarily include Rika, there's no way either of them will get what they really want. Rika will either be trapped in Hinamizawa to placate Satoko or Satoko is going to keep dropping chandeliers on fancy girls. Satoko's first do-over shows that she attempts to believe in RIka's earnestness by being more upfront with her about her reservations about attending St. Lucia...but Rika ends up giving her the cold shoulder anyway.

I don't think there's a way for either girl to come out of this looking justifiable. Rika's personality really does a 180 once she gets into St. Lucia. What Satoko really needs is Shion or to accept that this is unfortunately a very common experience during adolescence. Everyone wishes their BFF promises hold strong into the future, but they often do not. That pain is also part of growing up, unfortunately.

Rating:

Extras

• Other tidbits to pull out of Featherine's monologue is her reference to Rika as "the cat" and mentions a power higher than herself as well.

• So, funny coincidence. While looking into this I became aware of "三つ鱗" or Mitsūroko, which is visually the same as the Triforce. It was the emblem of the Hōjō clan in Japanese history.

Higurashi: When They Cry – GOU is currently streaming on Funimation and Hulu.