Regardless of the reasoning, Higurashi When They Cry Meguri 2 is stressful and gory, but feels like a pointless rigged game.
Higurashi When They Cry Meguri 2 continues changing up the original series, putting Satoko in the driver’s seat and pushing the chaotic carnage. The gore and violence never ease, and, like a Hitchcock film, readers can only scream as Rika fights, utterly clueless about who her foe is. Still, the addition of a goddess watching and toying with people for entertainment bogs down the story. Satoko’s twisted sentiments add confusion, leaving readers wondering if she’s playing a larger game or someone who enjoys mutilating her friends. Regardless of the reasoning, Higurashi When They Cry Meguri 2 is stressful and gory, but feels like a pointless rigged game.
With the story by Ryukishio07 and 7th Expansion, art by Tomato Akase, translation by Alethea and Athena Nibley, and lettering by Katie Blakeslee, the Yen Press manga volume begins with Satoko chatting it up with Hanyu’s original, who gets the name Eua from Satoko. Eua now controls the time loops since Hanyu is gone. Together, they hash out a plan, a game to keep Eua entertained, and they change the rules to repeat June 1983. Now, all Satoko needs is to reset it. So, Rika is once again thrust back into the hell of horror and tragedy with an increased likelihood of losing ad infinitum.
Higurashi When They Cry Meguri 2 Is Horrifying and Tragic
Since Eua’s going to keep it so that Rika does not remember who killed her, it feels awful and sad for Rika. Rika’s friend, her best friend, kills her and puts her back in Hinamizawa in June 1983. It’s a wonder Rika does not lose her mind. After finally defeating and escaping the loop, her beloved friend thrusts back into it. There’s a moment where both are thinking in tandem, and Satoko anticipates Rika’s thoughts and inevitable defeat. It’s horrific how sometimes we do not know the people we believe we are closest to.
On top of that, Rika’s still playing from the perspective of the old rules in the game. Talk about having the odds stacked against you. The only rule in this game is that Rika has to kill Satoko. If Rika dies first, Satoko wins, and it all repeats.
Satoko’s Motivation
Satoko is a master of games and traps. But her endgame remains a mystery. It could be that Satoko recalls those times as the happiest she’s ever been. After all, the gang was together. Sure, they all die. But then it repeats, and they are together again, playing games and attending festivals. She and Rika live together. Despite friends gutting each other, it’s tragic that Satoko still views that summer in 1983 as the pinnacle of joy.
Higurashi When They Cry Meguri 2 is difficult because you don’t wish Satoko to die. Instead, you hope Rika and the others figure it out and somehow reach her. Or, a great surprise twist would be Satoko playing the long game. Maybe she noticed a danger later and hoped to play the loop and defeat Eua by playing the villain.
Higurashi When They Cry Meguri 2 remains one of the goriest and most violent series that continues to be jaw-droppingly bloody. But at its heart is will. The will to do right or the will to do wrong is a constant of the series. Whose strength of will triumphs depends on confidence. However, this new loop differs because their foe is a dear friend. Higurashi When They Cry Meguri 2 shows why this series is one of the best, most deadly, and eerie yandere stories with obsession and paranoia on a whole other level.
