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Neko dama shi-hen (猫騙し編, Cat Deceiving Chapter) is an anime and manga only arc that was introduced as the fourth chapter in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gō, the third season of the anime series. The name is similar to the first OVA, Nekogoroshi-hen, but does not seem to share any other similarities, as it has a completely different story. It focuses on Furude Rika's perspective following a surprising turn of events from the previous three arcs and setting her on a journey across the final five worlds, in a last demotivated attempt to change her fate, before ultimately giving up.

Plot

The arc begins during the actual cotton drifting ceremony of the previous arc Tataridamashi-hen. Rena adds her ball of cotton, followed by Shion and Mion, but Rika holds one to hers as Rena keeps asking about Keiichi and Satoko. A maniacal Ōishi arrives with a bat scratching his neck. He attacks Rika, demanding that she explain the mystery to him. He shoots a number of villagers, then Shion and Mion when they try to save her. When Rika refuses to explain the mystery to him, Ōishi bludgeons her to death with the bat. While this is happening, Satoko, covered in blood, wanders into the scene, and the sound of Ōishi's gun firing is heard as the scene goes to black.

Major events happen throughout Nekodamashi-hen that change, not only the following events of Higurashi no Na ku Koro ni Gō, but the entire Higurashi universe too, namely Hanyū's disappearing into the kakera world, Rika becoming a true looper and inheriting Hanyū's powers, return of the Onigari no Ryō and the reveal of the true culprit behind the events of Higurashi no Na ku Koro ni Gō.

Anime Episodes

Disappearances and Deaths

All deaths and disappearances are listed only as they are shown in Nekodamashi-hen. Spoilers only for the individual arc, not the overall series. However unlike previous arcs, this one also describes fragments of events across six different worlds. As noted, there are slight difference and expansions in the manga adaptions.

Neko dama shi-hen 1

Deaths

Furude Rika, stabbed multiple times by Akasaka and burned to death in her house after he set it on fire.
Akasaka Mamoru, burned to death after setting himself and Rika's house on fire.

Neko dama shi-hen 2

Deaths

Sonozaki Shion, Kimiyoshi Kiichirō, Kasai Tatsuyoshi and numerous Sonozaki yakuza, were killed by Sonozaki Akane in the Sonozaki main house on June 15, 1983.
Sonozaki Mion, decapitated by Sonozaki Akane with a katana on June 15, 1983.
Furude Rika, also beheaded by Sonozaki Akane in the Sonozaki main house on June 15, 1983.

Neko dama shi-hen 3

Deaths

Furude Rika, drowned after a rock was tied to her hands and got thrown into the Onigafuchi Swamp by Kimiyoshi Kiichirō on June 21, 1983.

Neko dama shi-hen 4

Deaths

Four Angel Mort waitresses and three customers, were beaten to death by Maebara Keiichi in the restaurant on June 13, 1983.
Hōjō Satoko, seen laying motionless in Angel Mort on June 13, 1983.
Ryūgū Rena, bashed in the head with a baseball bat by a maddened Keiichi and died instantly on June 13, 1983.
Furude Rika, like Rena, Keiichi bashed her head in and and she died instantly on June 13, 1983. It is highly possible that Keiichi followed her instructions and cannibalized her brain after her death.
Sonozaki Mion, bashed in the head by the maddened Keiichi as she was trying to help Shion. Her death was only shown in the manga.
Sonozaki Shion, got severly beaten up by Keiichi in Angel Mort, then got hit in the face with his baseball bat, getting instantly killed. Her death was only shown in the manga.

Neko dama shi-hen 5

Deaths

Furude Rika, disemboweled alive by Hōjō Satoko with the ritual hoe in their home on June 12, 1983. Due to the hits to her abdomen and spinal cord with the hoe, her body's lower half detached as she bled to death.

Neko dama shi-hen (Manga)

The manga expands the shown incidents and resulting deaths. These are listed below. The first two deaths are the same as in Nekodamashi-hen 2 and 3.

Neko dama shi-hen 3

Deaths

Furude Rika, tied to a cross and tortured to death in the Sonozaki underground toolhouse by Sonozaki Shion. Her fingers were nailed to the cross by each joint.

Neko dama shi-hen 4

Deaths

Maebara Keiichi and Maebara Ichirō, were both beaten to death by Maebara Aiko with a hammer in their home.
Furude Rika, tied to a a chair, has her head smashed with a hammer by Aiko in the Maebara House.

Neko dama shi-hen 5

Deaths

Furude Rika, shot in the mouth with a shotgun by Kasai Tatsuyoshi.

Neko dama shi-hen 6

Deaths

Furude Rika, murdered by the Hinamizawa Branch School students.

Neko dama shi-hen 7

Deaths

Furude Rika, disemboweled alive by Sonozaki Oryō.

Neko dama shi-hen 8

Deaths

Furude Rika, murdered by Rena at the dump with her nata, then dismembered into six pieces

Neko dama shi-hen 9

Deaths

Furude Rika, shot in the head along with multiple other students in the school's classroom by Sonozaki Mion.

Neko dama shi-hen 10

Deaths

Furude Rika, died form her injuries due to unknown circumstances

Trivia

"Nekodamashi" is also a sumo wrestling technique, where the wrestler claps his hands in front of the opponent to make him blink, and use the opportunity to tackle him.
While their deaths are not openly shown, Sonozaki Akane vows that she is will commit suicide after killing Rika in second world, and Kimiyoshi Kiichirō likely bleeds to death as he is already clawing out his throat when he sacrifices Rika alone without anyone present to intervene in third world.
Maebara Keiichi's fate after events of fourth world is left completely ambiguous, though it's highly possible he clawed his throat out and bled to death as he does in Onikakushi-hen.
In the first loop, Keiichi tries to enter the Rika and Satoko's house alone when it burst into flames. It is currently unknown whether he survived or also died in the fire.
In the fifth loop, Satoko says that she had sacrificed the Club members (Keiichi, Mion, Rena and possibly Shion), but other than her words, there's no other evidence for this.

Answer Arc

Higurashi no <span >Na</span>ku Koro ni	Oni<span >kaku</span>shi-hen • Wata<span style="color:red;">naga</span>shi-hen • Tatari<span style="color:red;">goro</span>shi-hen • Hima<span style="color:red;">tsubu</span>shi-hen Me<span style="color:red;">aka</span>shi-hen • Tsumi<span style="color:red;">horobo</span>shi-hen • Neko<span style="color:red;">goro</span>shi-hen
Higurashi no <span >Na</span>ku ni Kai	Yaku<span >sama</span>shi-hen • Mina<span style="color:red;">goro</span>shi-hen • Matsuri<span style="color:red;">baya</span>shi-hen
Higurashi no <span >Na</span>ku ni Rei	Haji<span >sara</span>shi-hen • Sai<span style="color:red;">koro</span>shi-hen • Hiru<span style="color:red;">kowa</span>shi-hen
Higurashi no <span >Na</span>ku ni Kira	Batsu<span >koi</span>shi-hen • Ayakashi<span style="color:red;">sen</span>shi-hen • Musubi<span style="color:red;">eni</span>shi-hen • Yume<span style="color:red;">utsu</span>shi-hen
Higurashi no <span >Na</span>ku Koro ni Kaku	Higurashi Outbreak
Higurashi no <span >Na</span>ku Koro ni Gō	Oni<span >dama</span>shi-hen • Wata<span style="color:red;">dama</span>shi-hen • Tatari<span style="color:red;">dama</span>shi-hen • Neko<span style="color:red;">dama</span>shi-hen • Sato<span style="color:red;">kowa</span>shi-hen
Higurashi no <span >Na</span>ku Koro ni Sotsu	Oni<span >aka</span>shi-hen • Wata<span style="color:red;">aka</span>shi-hen • Tatari<span style="color:red;">aka</span>shi-hen • Kagu<span style="color:red;">ra</span>shi-hen

See Kagurashi-hen

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pt-br:Nekodamashi-hen