Pure awesomeness. I really have to say, that this OVA couldn’t have been done better. These past three episodes were right up there with the most memorable moments from the Higurashi series. I’d definitely rank this among the best OVAs I have ever seen, along with Rurouni Kenshin Tsuioku-hen and Hunter X Hunter’s OVA. All of them were just incredible: intelligent, inspired and focused.
Most of this episode was just lots of dialogue, but that’s exactly what I liked about it. Rika, who was tortured with the choice whether or not to kill her mother, and abandon the world in which nobody was plagued by sin. This exactly showed the irony of good endings: sure, you may have everything happening perfectly; you may have nobody suffering from the past, and deeply haunted by some of the wrong decisions they made, and that were made for them. But does that make them better persons?
It may all have just been a dream by Hanyuu, but who cares? Thinking back it made sense: how else would Hanyuu have known about the fate of everyone who wasn’t there? The way Rika let herself go and get caught up in the accident really showed her how she has unconsciously taken her own death and rebirth for granted, and how she began to forget how important her mother was.
If I had to mention a down-side, then it was the continuity error of Keiichi’s sin. In the original series, Keiichi’s sin was left out, and I had to read about it in the Higurashi TIPS, about how he ran around with the plastic gun. Those who haven’t read the TIPS will probably feel left out a bit, because that event was crucial to why this episode was so incredibly powerful. It’s still a shame that we never got to see that scene animated, by the way. It would have been damn intense.
In any case, Umineko no Naku Koro ni is about to begin now, and even though I’ve heard that it’s going to be completely different from Higurashi, I’m really looking forward to it, because 07th Expansion has shown himself to be an incredible writer. My only concern is going to be Chiaki Kon; I’m not sure whether she is the right person for this series. Especially considering how she’s also currently working on Hanasakeru Seishounen, and considering the mess that that turned into. On the other hand, Toshifumi Kawase is returning for the series composition. I absolutely love what this guy has been doing for the past few years (he was the one who directed the Higurashi Rei OVA), so perhaps he was the biggest reason why Higurashi was the only thing that didn’t disappoint out of Chiaki Kon’s work.
Rating: *** (Awesome)
Amazing conclusion to an already amazing OVA.
But wait! Isn’t there supposed to be a 5th episode of this coming out later?
Actually Keichi’s past was revealed in Rena’s arc of the first season.
Firechick: yeah, but that’s going to be another comedy episode, which has nothing to do with the previous three episodes.
Brazil: really? They showed the part in which Keiichi shot that little girl in the eye? I don’t remember that part being in the anime.
The ovas of Saikoroshi-hen were amazing, the adaptation from the visual was extremely well done for the first time, rei is a good example of a great adaptation
OVA 5 is daybreak a comedy episode that is not part of the main history is something lol.
Mr Gels… you give the Chiaki Kon directed Higurashi the following score.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni – (TV) – 91/100
And now you’re not sure she is the right person for the job? FFS I just have to /facepalm.
Anyway it’s not like they can fuck up Umineko no Naku Koro ni anyway since it’s utterly brilliant. It also has a massive advantage over the first Higuarashi adaption. Only 4 arcs are out and they will follow it to a tee since they know they will make a sequel.
With higur season 1 is was blatantly obvious they weren’t going to make a sequel. They rushed through 6 arcs so they could get some sort of end and cut a lot of stuff. Than they released it was popular and season 2 was a go.
Umineko is brilliant and has something that takes it to another level over Higur, that is Beatrice.
psgels: They didn’t actually show WHAT Keiichi did, but they showed that he did SOMETHING awful involving a weapon of some sort, and that that was the reason for his transfer.
-Tom
Couldn’t agree with you more. Rei was perfect, and possibly the best arc of Higurashi. I’m still in shock at how great this little extra chapter turned out. Ryukishi07 (writer) is brilliant, and I can’t wait for Umineko. Good thing I don’t have to, as it starts very soon!
Finally, if I remember correctly, they never explicitly show what K1 did, but they do allude to it. I’m not sure how many of the details they fill in, but I certainly got the point when it came up in this OVA.
Aww~ so it was all some dream by Hanyuu. I would have liked to watch the true choice Rika would have done. That would have been dramatic!