Reunion
The story opens in the ruins of Hinamizawa; 20 long years after the
Great Disaster (2003) with the town finally being opened to visitors
again. It had been closed off after the government claimed an eruption
of volcanic gases killed everyone in the village. Oishi and Akasaka
having a reunion to discuss the old tragedy and it's lingering
mysteries. They go over the ruined village and meet the surviving
ex-terrorist Rena Ryuguu and discuss they many holes in the government
story. Additionally Rena shares the time Rika came to her when Rena was
delusional and living in the dump. Rika urged her to take an unknown
injection, but after Rena refused, claimed to be tired of this
Hinamizawa and left in search of the next Hinamizawa.
Thoughts: This was a nice recap episode to reintroduce the
setting after many Higurashi-less months. Nothing too earth shaking was
revealed other than the governments volcanic gas theory was very
suspicious. We also got to see the sweet scene with Rika and Rena in
the dump that was cut from the first season. And who can ignore Rena,
even at 38, was rather pretty in a somewhat crazy ax murdering kind of
way. 
Takano's crazy notebooks make an appearence and their talk of
aliens and bacteria is still as ridiculous as in Tsumihoroboshi-hen,
but still there is something rotten in the state of Hinamizawa. My
apatite for mystery and Mayhem was only whetted by this episode.
Yakusamashi-Hen - Disaster Awakening Chapter
Next is an anime exclusive arc, that seems to have been created to
help fill in some of the pieces they left out of the first season. We
are introduced to an invisible character known as Hanyu, who Rika
converses with. Then roll into a light hearted game of Zombie tag in
order lull the views into the mistaken belief that this is one of those
cute harem anime. Then we move the focus on to the two youngest club
members, Rika and Satoko. In this world it seems that Rika has
completely given up hope even though she acts normally during the day,
but at night she reveals her true, depressed self. She's seems to have
completely given up hope and is resigned to her fate. Satoko overhear
some of her wine accompanied discussions with Hanyu and becomes
concerned, particularly when Rika admits that she will be murdered
soon.
The Watanagashi festival arrives as usual and just when Rika was
completely bored one of her aids does something new and changes the
normal routine. This blows Rika's mind and after the festival she runs
out to attempt to convince Tomitake to avoid his murder. But it was too
late; Tomitake wouldn't listen and he ended up with his throat ripped
out.
The following days Satoko noticed that they were being watched and
became very agitated. She lays some traps which give them some warning
when unknown assailants infiltrate their house. Rika makes Satoko hide
in the closet while many evil men carry Rika out to be murdered in
front of the shrine. Satoko couldn't stay hidden with her friend in
danger and went out to look for Rika, sees the murder and is chased by
the evil perpetrators. She ends up on the bridge from Tatarigoroshi-hen
and in desperation climbs underneath to hide. As karma(or the writers)
would have it she falls like Keichi did, but unlike Keichi wakes up in
time to see the aftermath of the great Hinamizawa disaster.
The most important part: There was no gas. Satoko without any
protection at all walked into the center of the village with no
problems respitory problems what-so-ever. (though she was pretty banged
up from her fall) She shes her her friends and fellow villagers piled
up in a heap at the school and basically goes catatonic.
Satoko is taken to the hospital where in Oishi desperately wishes
she would awaken and shed light on these odd happenings. It turns out
that Satoko is the only survivor from the village. He even mentions
that he found Rena bloody hat in the woods and how it is so out of
place for a gas disaster. After Oishi leaves Satoko has a vision of
Rena being chased through woods, then being cornered, and murdered with
only her hat leaving whiteness to the crime. Unfortunately as soon as
the hospital staff notice that she's is awake, she is permanently
silenced by the conspiracy.
Thoughts:We see the true aftermath of the "Greate Hinamizawa
Disaster" which definatly rules out the governments lame volcanic gas
eruption. Since Rika was murdered by men, we can now rule out the
supernatural explanations of Tatarigoroshi-hen as a red herring, just
as Meakishi and Tatarigoroshi laid to rest the Sonazaki conspiracy.
While some of the red herrings are all tossed aside the true villain
has not yet been revealed, though thoughtful viewers of the first
season should be able to point out someone very suspicious, as of yet
we have no motive. Why kill Rika so gruesomely in a shrine? For that
matter why go to all the trouble of wiping out a little village in the
middle of nowhere? Even as we gain more information, we still have many
questions remaining.
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