#oniokoshi

[rougeprunea]

ひぐらしのなく頃に令  鬼熾し編

Higurashi: When They Cry Rei: Demon-Kindling Chapter

[theviolenttomboy]

I just found out the Higurashi got another sequel/continuation via manga, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei, and I'm finding them a whole lot more enjoyable than Gou/Sotsu. So far there are two completed question arcs and currently on-going answer one.

It's modern day, and Hinamizawa was at risk of becoming a ghost town due to the rapidly shrinking population, but a few years ago, what appears to be a cult, Polaris, was permitted to move in so that government support could continue. Because the newcomers keep entirely to themselves, not even responding to casual greetings, the Hinamizawa locals are wary and don't trust them.

Enter our protagonist, Maebara Keitaro, Keiichi's son, who, while often visited the village during vacation, has now permanently moved in. His personal goal in life is to make friends with literally everyone he meets because his dad stressed to him the importance of communication. He decides that this extends to the members of Polaris, and hopes that everyone can get along in the future as well. Unfortunately, his old friends (the old cast's kids) don't approve, especially since Oyashiro's curse is seemingly back...

-----

So yeah, there's a new mystery that ends with the traditional blood bath, but like before, you gotta see the whole picture to see what does and doesn't make sense. Proper communication once again is key here, along with other messages, like you really can't stick to the old ways when it's actively causing harm, while also stressing that there's a limit to how much you can push someone out of their comfort zone.

Another thing I really like that I don't think is too much of a spoiler is that when the old gang does finally properly get together again to discuss what's going on, it's clear how much they still trust each other, and that Keiichi (a politician's secretary) and Mion (clan head) fully utilize their adult positions to help out.

I don't think it's officially out in English yet so mangadex links :

Oniokoshi-hen Hoshiwatashi-hen Irotoutoshi-hen

[bitchoftruth]

kururu turns evil in this shocking twist, and in another shocking twist i finish the manga and actually feel overall positive about it. final thoughts on Oniokoshi at the end of this post.

inori and kururu march in, with some other polaris members, bind up the maebara family.

and accuses him of wanting to destroy the world.

and then they proceed to brutally murder his grandparents. Keitarou is like, hey, thats not cool, and if your holy mother ordered this well thats not cool either. But kururu shuts him up

she really hated those club games huh

honestly its ahrd to explain everythign thats going on. a lot of what polaris says makes no sense with no context of whats going on, which i dont have yet. just know that kururu is completely fucked up.

keitarou tries to appeal to inori instead. inori says, what i am interpreting in plaintext, that she and the other kids did want to talk to him, but that made them scared of him. also, they got HS i guess (inori also scratches her neck in an earlier bit, though less bloody-ly)

and then they uh, all start to scratch in unison

and then they burn down. the house.

and then they all die. yay!

cut forward to the kids finding out , and rika kills herself to start the next loop.

that makes sense, as we always were told the star people were an extremist group.

To me this seems like a story about how a cult/group hysteria mixes with HS, in the end. Althoguh the group scratchign was a bit comical, the idea that a whole group, already prone to paranoi, would enable eachother to further atrocities, makes sense to me.

though in this sense, it feels like there isnt mcuh of a mystery left. I will be reading the other manga eventually, which is the next loop, I remember I enjoyed what I read of that one more.

I didn't dislike this manga, actually I liked it more than I thought I would in the end, the concept is actually interesting, and the characters, well I dont love them btu I suppose they grew on me some. If the manga was more willing to let them step out of their paretns shadows, they have potential enough.

I reserve full judgement until I red the next loops manga, im not sure if thats the end of the story, it seems like there would be a third loop manga. but i dont think any was announced yet.

[ozmatippetarius]

New/Ongoing Higurashi Material Guide

I'm not sure if this post will be helpful to anybody else, but it would have been helpful to me, a few months back, so I'm being the change I want to see in the world.

Were you into Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni 10-20 years ago (or got into it when the visual novels were released on Steam more recently)? Did you know that in the last couple years Ryukishi07 started putting out a ton of new Higurashi material to celebrate the 20 year anniversary? Did you know this, but were maybe overwhelmed by all the new material and weren't sure what you should be reading and in what order? This post is here to help!

In total, the new/ongoing material includes two mutually-exclusive sequel series and a prequel.*

Gou/Sotsu/Meguri

Gou was initially an anime arc, now also with a manga adaptation, and is a sequel. This can be a bit confusing because it was originally marketed as a reboot, the first episode very much looks like a reboot, and some sites have it listed as simply Higurashi When They Cry, as if it were the original series. It's very much not a reboot, but a sequel.

Sotsu is the anime answer arc for Gou. Meguri is the manga answer arc for Gou, and is ongoing. They're similar, but different. Let's use a food metaphor.

Gou/Sotsu/Meguri have at least some connection to Umineko, although you'll get different answers as to how much of a connection that is. I'll just say, as an Umineko fan, that I'm finding it pretty interesting myself!

Rei(wa)

Rei (令) is the other current sequel series, and is completely unrelated to Gou/Sotsu/Meguri. You'll see English-speaking fans write it as Rei(wa) because it is set at the beginning of the Reiwa era in 2019, and because there is already a different Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Rei (礼) series.

Rei(wa) is a second-generation series primarily featuring the children of the original characters. I know what you're thinking: who asked for that? Why? I do personally think, though, that they've done a really good job making most of the kids strong stand-alone characters, though, and I've been enjoying it a lot.

Oniokoshi is the first question arc. Hoshiwatashi is the second question arc. Both question arcs started release at the same time and begin with some of the same events, diverging later on. The answer arc, Irotoutoshi, will begin soon in June 2023.

Oni

Oni is a prequel arc, giving us background on Sonozaki Oryou, the Kimiyoshi family, and Doctor Takano Hifumi. Yes, they did make the hemorrhoids mayor a pretty boy.

Anyway, that's my wrap-up! I hope somebody finds it helpful. Happy reading!

*(There's also a mobile game, Mei, but I haven't really been following it myself, and it has a different writer.)

[earthenterran]

higurashi reiwa (oniokoshi), vol 1

this shot of rika is chilling

[witch-of-illusions]

Rika looking forward to meet again her friends in 2019 after travelling around the world for years is really heartwarming...

[roseofcards90]

This was announced like a few days ago but WHY IS NO ONE TALKING ABOUT THE NEW MANGA WITH KEIICHI’S SON AND SOME OTHER GUY??

[fragmentwitch]

I have nothing relevant to say except Rika is in her mid 40s and still goes NIPAH... so is Rika the chuunibyou in this fragment instead of Satoko or what... like bro how do you just let it slip past you someone died in the previous year's watanagashi when you were out travelling... IN 2018 NO LESS

[certainwill]

Finally got around to reading oniokoshi-hen and i’m actually enjoying it a lot..........

and i might. have to pick up kururu as a muse at some point. listen-

[pinkie-satan]

Just read Oniokoshi-hen and despite all the ship drama, it seems to be quite interesting,,, and I live for Natsumi Kei's art!

[noto-gin]

"Satoko marries some random man" any interest I had in Oniokoshi and Hoshiwatashi is now completely gone

[witch-of-illusions]

Keitarou, Kihiro, Tamaki and Sakiko Gou/Meguri Manga art style drawn by their Artist Akase Tomato!

[witch-of-illusions]

I’m not sure that feeling will last for long tho...

Kihiro is really a cutie

Fake tears NEVER work in Higurashi lmao (except with Satoshi in Meakashi awwww)

Tamaki is such a cutie too aw

No doubts Rena would have tried to take all of them home when they were babies ahah

Awww Mama Mion watching over the children <3 About that image, some days ago I read a really funny comment like ‘’See Keitarou? All of this would be yours if your father didn’t lose his mind’’ or something like that lmao

You can bet they are teasing Satoko about which one is Broccoli and which one is Cauliflower ahahhaha I wonder if Sakiko can distinguis about them lmao

Ugh the fact that Satoko’s husband looks like Okonogi, the way he smiles...I have a bad feeling about him. He’s also like the only new spouse that Ryukishi make us to see clearly and who has a face, because Mion’s husband isn’t shown at all and obiovusly neither Rena’s ex husband, you can kind of see Keiichi’s wife but not her face...I think there’s a reason for which Ryukishi made a different decision about him.

[bitchoftruth]

personal opinions on currently airing higurashi manga of which there are far too many meguri: better than sotsu so far, which isn't saying anything really since sotsu is bottom of the barrel. There are some interesting things, but I don't trust it fully. Time will tell. I really don't even want to talk too much about it since i spent an eternity rewatching and writing about gou and sotsu took a giant shit on all that lol. If I like the ending ill probably post about it at length along with rewatching sotsu.

Rei in general: the two different manga at the same time implied to be different loops thing is interesting, some wtc manga arcs did get published at the same time but since this is manga original and it's not even clear from the get-go which one is supposed ot be read first I assume it's meant to be read together, which is a really strange but potentially interesting experience. Not fully sold on the plot and uh... I understand this is an au to gousotsu like console arcs etc etc and higurashi has a huge extended canon but it's a really odd decision to pair satoko with a rando dude right after gousotsu. I don't really love the new cast, especially tama who just doesn't seem to have anything going on. renas boys thing is just saying its a lie and being vaguely gay. sakiko is the only one i like. kururu is also very interesting so far she might be the stand out character depending on how it goes.

rei oniokoshi: i hate this one flat out. I dislike the art ( I have no umineko manga nostalgia for the artist as I have not read it), half of it is stupid fanservice crap, plot moves at a glacial pace and despite having the same characters as hoshiwatashi characters come across as much flatter and one note in this. If this was the only version I'd have just ignored it

rei hoshiwatashi: this is the one I VASTLY prefer, incredible art, doesn't waste time on stupid fanservice shit, much better mood and characters like it's hard to explain how it is so much suprerior to oniokoshi but it somehow is.

oni: wow these names are getting confusing huh , anyway we just have 1 chapter of this and I kinda dislike it but I'm trying to be open minded. the cover art is incredible but the inside art I found kind of weird and confusing to follow. they also just decide to give the club game gimmick thing to oryous friend group for no reason, just becaue theyre kids in hinamizawa doesnt mean they have to act exactly as the original cast. I was thinking this would be set when they are older , and maybe they'll get aged up in the next few chapters. I don't know , I'm not super looking forward to seeing more of this but it could be interesting