WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Episode 12 of Higurashi: When They Cry - Sotsu, "God-Entertaining - Part 1," now streaming on Funimation.
Higurashi: Sotsu has caught a lot of flak from fans for its excessive recapping of Gou’s events, giving answers to basic questions that were essentially solved once Satoko was revealed as the culprit. The first episode of the God-Entertaining arc teases fans with a highly anticipated confrontation between two of Higurashi’s strongest characters. Sadly, this only eventuates after some underwhelming exposition.
This episode touches upon Hanyuu’s relationship with Rika, shifting the focus over to her throughout the prologue. Hanyuu was Rika’s closest ally during her initial loops, and the two shared a close mother-daughter bond throughout the original series. Sotsu has been set on exploring Satoko’s character so far, but the show takes some time to acknowledge Hanyuu’s motivations -- particularly regarding her dynamic with Rika -- in this episode.
One thing that stands out is Hanyuu acknowledging that the looping ability she gave Rika is flawed. As Eua has pointed out in past episodes, Satoko’s looping powers are far superior to Rika’s. That gap in ability is attributed to their benefactors, with Eua referring to Hanyuu as a failure on several occasions. Hanyuu’s cracked horn plays a big role in this, giving Rika an immediate disadvantage in almost every loop she enters.
The similarities in their designs, along with Eua’s apparent familiarity with Hanyuu, have led many viewers to speculate on some sort of connection existing between the two. The cracked horn could signify that Hanyuu is some sort of incomplete version of Eua, although they could very well be two completely different people. Still, the fact that they look the same and share similar powers suggests that there’s something at play here.
Hanyuu isn’t necessarily the most useful character in the original series, but her intentions are noble and she shows a genuine concern for Rika. On the other hand, Eua comes off as incredibly twisted and menacing, with no real attachment to Satoko and caring only for her ability to provide her with entertainment. It’s hard to believe that the two deities could be even remotely connected, but stranger things have happened within the When They Cry universe.
The majority of the episode continues with the “Neko” loops, giving a minuscule amount of context in what feels more like a brief recap than anything of substance. The only revelation to come from these loops is in Satoko’s meddling with the Onigari-no-ryuuou, moving it from its initial spot away from Rika. As seen in Gou, Rika still manages to snag a piece of the sword, which will undoubtedly be of some significance whenever the plot picks up from where Gou left things off.
The biggest moment of the episode comes when Hanyuu, at this point thought to have disappeared within the Sea of Fragments, manifests before Eua. The malevolent deity again shows some sort of familiarity with Hanyuu, addressing her as her “failure.” If Eua is as strong as she claims to be, Hanyuu could be at a severe disadvantage.
With only a few more episodes to go, it’s getting harder to anticipate whether or not Sotsu will conclude Gou’s narrative. While it’s possible to address and resolve most of what’s been introduced so far, doing so within a 60-minute time frame would undoubtedly feel like a rushed job. As it stands, Sotsu has spent too much time dragging out questions that most fans could already guess the answers to. Unless a second cour or even a third season is announced in the final stretch, Sotsu may very well leave many When They Cry fans feeling unfulfilled.
