Who actually solved the mystery after 4 chapters?

[Alex]

I don't remember where it was written,but the first four chapters supposedly give readers all the keys to the mystery.I just want to know-is there anyone here who actually solved it on their own?

(Almost) without spoilers,having read 2 out of 4 chapters I can only guess at the culprit's identity.If it was confirmed that there are no supernatural elements whatsoever in this story,I'd probably decided on the motive and main antagonist for the series already.
I'll spoiler-tag my guesses,and will add new theories here when reading through chapter 3 and 4
No unmarked spoilers in the thread,please.


My bet is on that blonde woman,what's-her-name,that dissapeared first in first and second chapters,and who,according to 2nd chapter was dead even earlier than that.There was also mentions of mind-altering drugs and conspiracy within the village.So,if it wasn't for the possible supernatural element,I'd say that blonde chick wants to put a lead on the village's yakuza(which seems to be incredibly influential not only in the region,but elsewhere as well),and was digging for evidence.Now,this being a japanese horror,if there's a curse mentioned,you can bet any money that it actually exists in one form or another.And that complicates things.Basically anything can be explained by supernatural-dead people walking,madness,precognition et cetera.If "the supernatural element" is the main reason for everything,then she might as well be:

a)dead person who tries to put people in the village on the trail of her killers
b)curse personified,who sets in motion everything just because such is her purpose.But then who cursed the village in the first place?Might never be explained,which is a common trope in japanese horrors-living through horror,but not ending the threat permanently.
c)Final Destination meets GroundHog Day loop?That would explain a few of Keichi's deja-vu's in part two,which are played for laughs and can be dismissed as jokes/references


Any of those would probably be too simple for a story so praised.But whatever ghosts or monsters will come out later,it seems logical that this blonde woman's curiosity,and not at all normal behaviour kicks off the significant portion of the plot.

[Veggeh]

I've had something worked out since Tatarigoroshi but Himatsubushi adds a twist that, while not disproving my thoughts overall, does add something interesting into the mix. If you like I could post a TL;DR version, though I don't want to hijack the thread. It does reflect some of your thoughts though.

[GuppyForce]

I was quite young when I first experienced Higurashi and that was the anime, so I didn't really try that hard at cracking the mystery. As someone who has completed it though, I can say this:

(No spoilers, but it answers a few questions, like whether or not there are supernatural elements)


1) It is very possible to guess the cuprit with the info from the first 4 chapters.
2) There is a supernatural element in the story, but it is not involved in the deaths and other mysterious events that take place from Watanagashi onwards.
3) It is not possible to guess the culprit's motive, nor a lot of the finer details of the truth, but you can figure out the general gist of quite a few things.
4) With that, it is possible to figure out the truth of the story events of the first 4 chapters.

[Alex]

Reading through 3rd chapter,and so far
SPOILERS


Groundhog Day Loop Meets Final Destination it is.Nightmares,deja-vu,one after another.Yep.Also got spoiled(although that was even before I started the series) by TVTropes,and I remembered something from way back then.That this series is Rika's story,not Keichi's!

ZING!

I bet the 4th chapter will drop the bomb.Also,makes a scary lot of sense that Keichi is clueless as ♥♥♥♥,because nothing is really about him.He thinks(and reader assumes,because we see everything from his POV) that he is the cause of everything,but he really does next to nothing to affect the actual plot.Well,ok that's a bit of a stretch,he does some stuff in the first chapter,even if he just swings blindly in the dark,but that's how stories about supernatural or "supernatural" would appear from the perspective of someone who is just a side character! ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥!Also from the first chapter's "Club Activities" when the group plays a "murder mystery" game,Rika says something about her preferring to use poison.And then there was Keichi's madness and horrible end.And Rika's through and through unchildlike behaviour.She might have put Maebara out of his misery at the end of 1st chapter.Killing the rest?Unlikely,she would need to be in too many places at once.One or even both twins might also be directly involved.Mion did say that she wanted to kill the detective Ooishi in chapter 1,when she asks Keichi about his strange behaviour.At the time I assumed that Maebara imagined it.Now?I am not so sure.Still,not all adds up,and Rena's involvement isn't clear.She thinks of herself as a potential target,and is mentally unstable.Some of her remarks can be taken as her knowing that events repeat themselves.That would drive one crazy easily enough.Anyway,I still can't see WHY all this ♥♥♥♥ is happening.Everything offered as explanation so far-Mion's following the traditions/legacy,curse,vigilanties-looks like an ass-pull to me,particulary with Mion.She hates her sister,and something goes between them and possibly Rika,that sends everything down to hell.Keichi sticking his nose where he shouldn't have and him being an idiot about it only accelerated them all on the highway to hell.But they would get there regardless,I think,which is clear as day in chapter 1-he did nothing and the ball started rolling anyway.

EDIT:I hope that this isn't some "You escaped Death,but it will collect you anyway" cheap piece of crap,because then the whole "mystery" aspect goes out the window-if the reason for everything will be "because Death's books needed to be balanced" I will be REALLY,REALLY ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ MAD.

[Hellstorm901]

As a long time fan of this entire series I'll give you the major answers your after so you can see how right/wrong you are.

Goes without saying but Major spoilers

<--- keep your mouse outside this box
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Miyo Takano (Blonde Woman)

She's the villain. She's a scientist investigating the village who basically has a God complex. Everytime she dies she's actually faking it

Rika Furude

Rika Furude is the protagonist, she is not 8 years old. Due to grounds hog day loops she's well over 100 years old. Her true personality is an alcoholic cynic. She is self aware of the groundhog day loops and is trying to achieve a world where everyone can live in happiness

The Curse

The curse is really called Hinamizawa Syndrome and is universe is the cause of the Marco Polo incicent (The incident which basically kicked off the Japanese - Sino war and basically led to the War in Europe becoming the Second World War) Hinamizawa Syndrome causes people to become paranoid, then dangerous to those around them finally before becoming suicidal

Oyashiro

Oyashiro is actually not a evil God but is instead a cute little Demon called Hanyuu, Rika is able to see Hanyuu and speak to her. Hanyuu is also capable of limited communication to the other characters however if she tries to communicate with them they assume they are hearing voices in their head "Oyashiro-Sama is speaking to them" which drives them mad

Dead people walking

There's two parts to this, the first is Hinamizawa Syndrome alters your perception of reality making things play out differently the other part is the organisation backing Miyo Takano send people to basically cover up events to keep the overall plan moving hence why evidence seems to go missing (object taped to the back of the clock in Keichis room)

Are there Supernatural Elements?

Well if you've read the previous spoilers then yes. Higurashi is a supernatural series and the bulk of its backstory and plot relates to Demons. There's some more supernatural stuff especially if you play Umineko but that stuff is greater scope plot spoilery and isn't important just yet.

[Alex]

I want to get answers myself,but it will be interesting to look at this thread once I've read every chapter.
Also,introduction texts from the author are very much correct-3rd chapter is confusing.I've had to stop somewhere in the middle because of upcoming exams,and plan to finis it next week,or maybe this weekend,but

Keichi's "epiphany" and the whole scene has thrown me off.Like,what the hell?He loses consciousness and goes into Raskolnikov mode while out.What is this-Crime and Punishment anime-style?Either that indicates him being possesed,or...what? Haminazawa sure is one big maniac-central...
Also,funny call-back number X: "if there's 1 in 100 chance that Mion is the killer..."
Guess he scored JACKPOT in the previous chapter.

Also,about Frederica Bernkastel-I googled,the name just in case,and it redirects to Higurashi wiki,not any real person.And she looks like grown up Rika.Frederica -> Furude Rika? Clever... What if she's the one and only one who will come out of this mess alive?

[Hellstorm901]

Alex

Who Bernkastel is is covered much later on but at the same time is a bit of a mindscrew

I'll give you a minor hint
Bernkastel is the name of a wine

[Alex]

Originally posted by Hellstorm901:

Alex

Who Bernkastel is is covered much later on but at the same time is a bit of a mindscrew

I'll give you a minor hint
Bernkastel is the name of a wine

Well,I figured she's the "walking spoiler" kind of character.And if she's Rika in the future,who is she referring to?Her friends?Someone who investigates the mess years later?Or is it just a 4th wall-breaking conversation with the readers?I mean,it is,obviously,but things like those usually have some in-story justification-a diary,a memoir,a confession?...Not that it will be important in the overall plot.But if I am right,then she will at least survive in the end.
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Would be a hell of a twist if the last chapter will end with a nigtmarish "kill'em all".But I don't know how can it be pulled off in a satisfying fashion after all this build up.Which is one of the reasons I dislike horrors-cheap,anticlimatic endings,among other things.At least this series isn't relying on jumpscares...

[Hellstorm901]

who is she referring to?

Spoilers and I'm not kidding about this one because this is from what I've gathered from the Manga, Anime, OVA and games (I'm a long time fan basically buying these on Steam just to support the devs)

In the greater universe of Higurashi/Umineko Bernkastel is a Witch, one of the most powerful witches and has been playing a game with a witch called Lambdelta and the two have a romantic hate relationship with each other.

Lambdeltas power as a witch is to grant wishes which will succeed but only to those who show a strong determination which in Higurashi is effectively her "playable character" Takano Miyo

Bernkastel is a witch who has the power to create miracles at the expense of breaking off pieces of her heart each time she is forced to grant a wish.

The relation between Rika Furude and Bernkastel is a complicated one. Bernkastel herself in one of her poems directly speaks to the reader chastising them for thinking she and Rika are the same however Bernkastel within the franchise is effectively a troll. This is further complicated by the fact that Rika and Bernkastel in one arc do interact with each other acknowledging their similarities but being different.

The most accepted theory about Rika and Bernkastel is that Bernkastel was created from all of the personalities of the dead Rikas who failed to overcome their fate leading to the creation of the Witch of Miracles/Endless Witch, a woman who looks like Rika but isn't Rika and takes offence to being assumed to be Rika.

Bernkastel as I previously mentioned is a troll who is forced to play by the rules of the game. Bernkastel loves to spoil the endings of things and effectively reveal the plot however the rules of the game forbid her from doing so as such she instead effectively drops hints and tries to sequence break within the rules of the game. This also extends to breaking the 4th wall within the franchise as evident by her poems which address the player (you) directly and her popping up physically in Higurashi when she's not supposed to be there.

[GuppyForce]

Originally posted by Hellstorm901:

who is she referring to?

Bernkastel is a witch who has the power to create miracles at the expense of breaking off pieces of her heart each time she is forced to grant a wish.

Where did you get this heart thing from? I only remember Bern's power being "the ability to cause any event to happen as long as the probability is not zero"

[Hellstorm901]

Originally posted by GuppyForce:

Originally posted by Hellstorm901:

Bernkastel is a witch who has the power to create miracles at the expense of breaking off pieces of her heart each time she is forced to grant a wish.

Where did you get this heart thing from? I only remember Bern's power being "the ability to cause any event to happen as long as the probability is not zero"

Bernkastels magic is basicaly an ability to create alternate realities and play through those until she achieves the result she wants (Miracle). This means that to achieve the outcome she desires she has to keep using her magic over and over just to acomplish one thing.

In Higurashi a very similar thing happens to Rika where every time she repeated a loop her (Hanyuus) ability to sustain the length of the loop decreased which in Umineko terms would mean she was running out of magic to use. Every time a Rika dies a part of her if left behind in the current world while the rest of her enters a new loop. If Bernkastel is a creation of Rikas left over personalities then she too will subscribe to the same system where every time she is forced to enter a new loop then she leaves behind a part of her.
By the time Bernkastel enters the scene she is a sadistic cynic with a warped outlook on things who only does anything for her own amusement, this very well could be because the taxing use of her magic has torn away her emotions and compassion and both of those things we say come from our heart.

[Alex]

Originally posted by Veggeh:

I've had something worked out since Tatarigoroshi but Himatsubushi adds a twist that, while not disproving my thoughts overall, does add something interesting into the mix. If you like I could post a TL;DR version, though I don't want to hijack the thread. It does reflect some of your thoughts though.

Please do,I'd like to read about your thoughts on this story

[Veggeh]

Originally posted by AlexUA:

Originally posted by Veggeh:

I've had something worked out since Tatarigoroshi but Himatsubushi adds a twist that, while not disproving my thoughts overall, does add something interesting into the mix. If you like I could post a TL;DR version, though I don't want to hijack the thread. It does reflect some of your thoughts though.

Please do,I'd like to read about your thoughts on this story

Sure. In that case I shall copy in my TL;DR part of my document:

TL;DR
My theories are as follows:
- The curse doesn't exist. Too many incidents from both the past and, clearly, the present can be explained by human interaction and influence.
- Rena and Mion are not trying to kill Keiichi in Onikakushi. Keiichi is paranoid to the point of delusional. The "Manager" they called is Dr. Irie (Coach) who may be able to helf Keiichi, the syringe is probably a marker pen like the one used in Tomitake's "punishment" at the festival in Onikakushi, and the needle in the food is possibly a weird ingredient with a sharp taste leading Keiichi's paranoid state to hallucinate it as a needle.
- The "Mion" seen in the latter half of Watanagashi is probably Shion, who has a more convincing motive (losing Satoshi) than Mion (not getting a doll?) and is able to swap places with her sister at will, as demonstrated earlier in the story. Switching point would be just after Keiichi and Shion talk to Ooishi in the library.
- Takano killed Tomitake and then faked her own death to buy enough time to see through a bigger plan. Not 100% sure what that plan is, nor do I have a motive pinned down, but she is definitely involved in something big somehow.
- The Great Hinamizawa Disaster in Tatarigoroshi and Himatsubushi is a cover-up of a purge of the village by the Japanese Special Defense Force. If my theory regarding Takano is correct, she may be involved, but I'm mostly clutching at straws here as not really enough evidence to be conclusive.
- Thanks to Himatsubushi, Rika probably actually is the reincarnation of Oyashiro, despite my denial of the other supernatural phenomena. I accept this only because I haven't been able to debunk it yet.
- Rika's death might actually be the thing that cements the cover-up of the purge in the eyes of the public, using the village superstitions as a pretext. Takano did a lot of research on the village so if she is involved she would be in a position to use these superstitions to her advantage.
- Satoshi may be alive somewhere within the clinic, based on the many similarities between the actions and potential actions of both Satoshi and Keiichi in Onikakushi and Tatarigoroshi. If correct, this is where Coach would have taken Keiichi to in the white van at the end of Onikakushi.
- There may be some sort of mental disease within Hinamizawa, caught by at least Satoshi and Keiichi (in Onikakushi only), and the residents are working together trying to keep it quiet. If Coach is keeping people in the clinic secretly then maybe this is why.

[Alex]

That actually makes the most sense.I feel like an idiot now.

The only remaining question then would be how and why Keichi is affected?(Mion/Shion/both too).I thought he might be suffering from some kind of disorder,which is never mentioned,but alluded to-for example,his tendency to speak what he's thinking aloud without realising it.

Also, going crazy under stress,and all that.He might also be not wholly sane in ch.2,just not violently insane that time.

If it is some kind of drug induced state,then when was he administered with the drug?And if it is a decease,why he's the only one (+Satoshi a year before)to get sick?

[Veggeh]

I wonder if perhaps it's not a drug. Maybe it's a virus or a parasite or something that you catch by going to Hinamizawa and exposing youserlf, then lays dormant until stress triggers the delusions and paranoia. If this is the case, all the residents could have it but either not know about it or have some way of controlling themselves about it? Mion/Shion could even have it in Watanagashi and this is what translates into murderous intent, though I still feel Shion is the more likely candidate because if the Sonozaki's are covering up disappearances (like they do in Himatsubushi, and remember that Shion is supposed to be outside their inner circle as Mion is the heir) she has basis for a grudge against her sister for "WHAT THE F*** DID YOU DO TO SATOSHI?!"

That said, there are references to drugs in the tips for Onikakushi...I don't know whether that has anything relevance though. Could be a red herring?

Also, if the villagers could control the disease, why would Satoshi and Keiichi need to be taken to the clinic in secret? Why not just treat/cure them there and then? Maybe the villagers don't know, but then why would the be so aggressive to Keiichi in Onikakushi? Mind control? Parasitic hive mind? Unless they weren't aggressive at all and that was just more Keiichi delusions? Many holes...

[Alex]

Wait,everyone affected would be outsiders,one way or the other.Keichi,Satoshi and Satoko,and Shion.There's also Rena and her own kind of crazy.And she also didn't spend her whole life in the village.