/jp/ - Otaku Culture

>>45051229
Yea, In the earlier chapters I think Keiichi is by far the most relatable to the reader with how he seens like the only quote on quote ''normal'' person in a village where everyone is just okay with worshipping some fuckoff god and partaking in weird rituals and traditions. Of course this is far from the truth but at the very start, we don't know any better and neither does Keiichi. It's only once you read the entirety of Higurashi does Onikakushi turn from a suspenseful horror chapter into a deeply tragic story. Looking back, I particularly like Mion's character in this chapter as well, knowing how she must feel on the inside while dealing with Keiichi's harsh treatment of his friends here.

One of Mion's core character traits is that she's extremely self-sacrificial, she's shoulder all of her friends, and by extension, the world's hardships if she could. It's echoed in Onikakushi with how she's INCREDIBLY patient with Keiichi in this chapter, Iwoulda socked him in the face during the scene where he's swinging the bat and Mion comes to tell him to stop. That scene in particular is also just incredibly sad looking back with how Mion must be feeling like Keiichi is stabbing her in the chest after telling her they're were never friends with a straight face. But she applies the ''without love it cannot be seen'' approach and realizes that it must come from a place of fear and anxiety and that he doesn't truly feel this way, and she remains patient with him, thinking ''I can't leave him now, he needs his friends now more than ever." which just perfectely encapsulates her character. Rena suffers a lot this chapter as well, ironically both arguably go through more hardship than Keiichi. All this while they are all completely ignorant of the syndrome which might just be the worst part of it all.

This is just all my interpretation though, but I find Onikakushi incredibly tragic on reread. It's a chapter that gets better and better with more context.