Yaku sama shi-hen (厄醒し編, Disaster Awakening Chapter) is an anime only arc that was introduced in the first episodes of Higurashi no Na ku Koro ni Kai, as requested by Ryukishi07. It was added to include important plot details that were left out of the First Season of the original anime adaptation by Studio DEEN and tie the two seasons together.

Yaku sama shi-hen follows Saikai (Reunion), which was adapted from the Demon's Script as an epilogue to Tsumihoroboshi-hen, and precedes Minagoroshi-hen and Matsuribayashi-hen. The story is told from the perspective of Hōjō Satoko as she grows increasingly concerned with Furude Rika's odd behavior.

Plot

Satoko worries about the sudden depression and strange behavior of her best friend Rika. The "True Personality" of Rika argues in her Adult Voice with a mysterious voice that belongs to an invisible Hanyū about her own inevitable murder and her vain attempts to try to change her fate.

This arc contains elements from multiple arcs and includes events left out in the first season, such as the "Zombie Tag" game from Onikakushi-hen, the baseball game of the Hinamizawa Fighters and some scenes from Satoko's past from Tatarigoroshi-hen, Sonozaki Shion remembering Hōjō Satoshi's wish and transferring to the Hinamizawa School to take care of Satoko, taken from the TIPS of Meakashi-hen and Mina goro shi-hen. Satoko injecting herself with C-117 and a member of The Club asking a member of the Okinomiya Police Department (Ōishi Kuraudo in Mina goro shi-hen and Kumagai Katsuya in Yaku sama shi-hen) to help Rika because someone is stalking her with the death of the officer at the hands of a Yamainu soldier are also from Mina goro shi-hen. The rest of the arc combines Tatari goro shi-hen, in which Keiichi falls from the bridge after discovering the disemboweled body of Rika and survives to witness the aftermath of the Great Hinamizawa Disaster, and Taraimawashi-hen, in which Sonozaki Mion survives her own ordeal. Ōishi shows her Ryūgū Rena's blood stained hat and asks her the meaning of the cryptic message left by Rena that hints at the motive behind Rika's murder, but Mion dies shortly after she realizes the meaning. Both events happened to Satoko instead with the addition of being pursued by the Yamainu for discovering Rika's body at the Furude Shrine.

Anime Episodes

Disappearances and Deaths

All deaths and disappearances are listed only as they are told in Yaku sama shi-hen. Spoilers only for the individual arc, not the overall series.

Disappearances

Hōjō Satoshi disappears in 1982 after the Watanagashi Festival.
Ryūgū Rena goes missing in the Great Hinamizawa disaster (GHD) with only her blood stained hat found.
Around twenty villagers of Hinamizawa also missing in the GHD.

Deaths

Tomitake Jirō kills himself on the Watanagashi Festival by clawing out his throat.
Takano Miyo dies on the night of the Watanagashi Festival.
Irie Kyōsuke commits suicide by overdosing on sleeping pills.
Kumagai Katsuya shot in his vehicle by a Yamainu soldier.
Furude Rika disemboweled in front of the shrine by a Yamainu soldiers.
Everyone in Hinamizawa wiped out during the Great Hinamizawa Disaster due to gas poisoning.
Hōjō Satoko murdered by the hospital by a nurse but made to resemble acute heart failure.

Trivia

Interestingly, Yaku sama shi-hen is like Matsuri baya shi-hen, as it involves preventing Rule Y only, with Rule X broken, since Keiichi is informed early about Oyashiro-sama's curse by the club, which prevents feeding his paranoia and curiosity and creating worlds similar to Oni kaku shi-hen. Shion and Satoko share a sisterly relationship, and Shion is not envious of Mion and Keiichi, preventing worlds similar to Watanagashi-hen or Me aka shi-hen. Hōjō Teppei did not return to Hinamizawa to abuse Satoko, preventing worlds similar to Tatari goro shi-hen, and Mamiya Rina was absent in Hinamizawa, preventing worlds similar to Tsumi horobo shi-hen. Rule Z is not present since nobody in the Club is suspicious of the Sonozaki Family, Ōishi never approached anyone but Rika, and Takano was shown briefly, indicating both did not influence anyone about the curse and fuel their paranoia which leads acts of violence of Rule X. Thus, the world of Yaku sama shi-hen is an ideal world in which to smash the fate of June of 1983.

The calendar in Higurashi no Na ku Koro ni Kai Episode 3, Yaku sama shi-hen Chapter 2, shows that the date was June 10, 1983 (Friday) and June 11, 1983 (Saturday) when the villagers of Hinamizawa were preparing for the festival. This indicates that this particular Watanagashi Festival was held on the next day, June 12, 1983 (Sunday) instead of usual June 19, 1983 of the other arcs.
In Higurashi no Na ku Koro ni Kai Episode 3, Yaku sama shi-hen Chapter 2, in Rika and Satoko's house Hanyū starts to talk to Rika about whether or not this world will turn out differently then the others. Though Hanyū doesn't physically show neither in a spirit form or a physical form she does appear in this episode in Rika and Satoko's house.

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