Higurashi Ch. 8 Matsuribayashi General Discussion

07th Discussion
#1

General discussion topic for Chapter 8: Matsuribayashi of Higurashi When They Cry. Chapter 8 refers to episodes 14-24 of the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai anime series.

In the interests of protecting those who are reading Higurashi for the first time, please tag any references to additional Higurashi arcs and outside works with the [spoiler] tag, providing adequate context in parenthesis.
We take spoilers very seriously, and ignoring this rule could potentially result in a ban.

While this topic will serve as a general hub for discussion of the chapter, if a conversation ends up flowing in a certain direction (eg. You start talking about the series as a whole rather than this particular chapter), don’t be afraid to continue it in your own topic! Keep the “reply as linked topic” button beside each post in mind.

What would you rate this chapter?

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • 4
  • 5

0 voters

Show results
Higurashi When They Cry General Discussion
#2

Much as I love most of the backstory stuff in Matsuribayashi, imo the arc falls well short of Tsumihoroboshi and Minagoroshi. Then again, no matter how hard I try, I can’t think of any possible way any 8th Higurashi arc could have surpassed those arcs (I wasn’t satisfied with the console arc Miotsukushi, either).

Sometimes part of me even wonders if Higurashi should have ended with Minagoroshi (with maybe a slightly different ending for that arc). Don’t get me wrong, it would still be strongly hinted that Rika and her friends would win in the next world, but the reader would have to believe that.

Then again, the other part of me thinks this is an insane idea and that I would have hated such an ending. :laughing:

(Umineko spoilers) Also, Umineko would probably make people believe that Rika and her friends didn’t win in the end. Because Bernkastel.

1 Like
#3

Matsuribayashi is pretty okay, it may seem weaker in comparison to the other answer arcs but that’s probably because almost everything has been revealed and it’s mostly the solution of the mystery progressing rather than there being obstacles, so that’s why it may not be as satisfying. I really like the writing of it though, even though Rika and her friends win in the end there still are things and small obstacles they have to fight against, but the writing doesn’t make them seem very difficult to solve, just that they need strategic thinking, which is another part that I liked in Matsuribayashi. I liked the strategies that were thought up by both Rika’s and Takano’s sides and it was really interesting to see them both being put into action. Overall, I like Matsuribayashi and whilst I haven’t really read any alternative ending chapters, I think there probably isn’t any better ending for Higurashi than this one.

1 Like
#4

Yeah, I think Matsuribayashi works better if you think of it as a sort of denouement rather than a climax.

1 Like
#5

Indeed, and actually what you said about how you think it maybe would have been better if Higurashi ended with Minagoroshi, with strong hints that everything would be solved for certain in the next world, it really seems like the development of most of the story ended with that and Matsuribayashi was that not-that-neccesary next arc, just to give the story a happy ending and fully complete it. Besides, like you yourself said, I think I too would have hated it if it ended with Minagoroshi and the story didn’t come full circle.

1 Like