Minagoroshi-hen

Minagoroshi-hen 皆殺し編
File:MinagoroshiGame.jpg
Information
Original VN Release Date	December 30, 2005
Translated VN Release Date(s)	May 31, 2010 (Europe)
Anime Air Date(s)	August 10 - October 1, 2007
Manga Release Date(s)	Japanese January 22, 2009 June 22, 2009 August 27, 2009 December 22, 2009 April 22, 2010 August 21, 2010 English September 25, 2012 December 2012 March 2013
Light Novel Release Date(s)	September 2008 October 2008
Platform	PC PlayStation 2 Nintendo DS PS Vita PlayStation 3
Previous Arc	Tsumihoroboshi-hen
Following Arc	Matsuribayashi-hen

Minagoroshi-hen (皆殺し編, Massacre Chapter), is the answer arc for Tatarigoroshi-hen in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai. The game was released on December 30, 2005 as the third in the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai series. It is mostly told from the viewpoint of Furude Rika, and is the penultimate arc in the series. Minagoroshi-hen follows Tsumihoroboshi-hen (Yakusamashi-hen in the anime) and precedes Matsuribayashi-hen. The story answers more questions than just those in Tatarigoroshi-hen, and thanks to the determination of Maebara Keiichi saves Hōjō Satoko from her fate in that arc. It is the first arc in which the varied fates of June 1983 are changed, and in which the true murderer behind the plot is revealed.

Plot

The story begins with Furude Rika in an altered state of reality. Around her, various prisms float and circulate her. As she examines them she mentions that they are "shards" from the various summers of 1983. Within the crystals are Onikakushi-hen, Watanagashi-hen, Meakashi-hen and Tsumihoroboshi-hen. Rika then calls upon Hanyū, a spirit girl, saying that they are going to a new universe. Hanyū agrees, but tells Rika that there will be nothing she can do to change the outcomes of this new world. Rika acknowledges this, but half-heartedly.

The world they walk into appears to be similar to Watanagashi-hen/Meakashi-hen. The group (along with Rika) heads to the toy store in Okinomiya. The outcome of this event is the same as in Watanagashi-hen,Meakashi-hen: Keiichi wins a doll, and decides on whom to give it to. However, instead of choosing Rena (like in the previous worlds), he chooses Mion as the recipient. Rika and Hanyū stay back for a bit, and note that Keiichi saved them all from the disastrous outcome of Watanagashi-hen/Meakashi-hen. Rika later catches up with the group, hopeful that this will be a world where her friends will break free of their destinies. Hanyū is unsure, but does not want to discourage Rika.

Over the next few days, Hōjō Satoko had been absent from school. Her friends find this suspicious, and Rika tells them that Satoko's abusive uncle, Hōjō Teppei, has moved back in, causing Satoko to move (on her own will) to move back in with him. Upset by this, Chie Rumiko (their teacher), goes to investigate. As it turns out, Satoko has a cold. However, she is being put to work by Teppei, and harshly. Chie tries to contact the Child Welfare Office, and a representative visits Hinamizawa.

Disappearances and Deaths

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

Disappearances

• Hōjō Satoshi, disappeared on June 1982.

Deaths

• Mamiya Rina, killed by the Sonozaki's yakuza.
• Tomitake Jirō, murdered on the night of the Watanagashi Festival on June19, 1983. He clawed out his throat hours after he was injected with H173 by Takano.
• Irie Kyōsuke, poisoned on June 22, 1983 by the Yamainu, later died in the Irie clinic.
• Kumagai Katsuya, shot in the head with a sniper rifle on June 22, 1983 by the Yamainu.
• Ōishi Kuraudo, shot in the chest with a hand gun on June 22, 1983 by the Yamainu. In the anime adaptation, he was shot in the head with a sniper rifle.
• Detective Komiyama and his partner, were killed at Rika's and Satoko's house on June 23, 1983 by the Yamainu. They were electrocuted to death by modified stun guns. In the anime adaptation, Komiyama is not present, and is replaced by a generic police officer.
• Maebara Keiichi, Sonozaki Mion, Sonozaki Shion, Ryūgū Rena, and Hōjō Satoko were all shot to death by Takano Miyo on June 23, 1983.
• Furude Rika, disemboweled alive in front of Furude Shrine on June 23, 1983 by Takano Miyo.
• Everyone in Hinamiz​awa, secretly killed on June 24, 1983 by the Japanese Self-Defense Force. This was ordered by the Japanese government in accordance to Emergency Manual #34. Most of the villagers were poisoned by an unknown gas, while few who attempted to escape were shot to death.

Question Arc

See Tatarigoroshi-hen.

I wanted to know the world that was outside of the well. So I tried hard to get out from the bottom of the well. I wanted to know the world that was outside of the well. So I climbed up numerous of times despite falling down over and over again. But then I realized it. The higher and higher I climb, the pain increases when I fall down again. When my interest in the world outside of the well began to equal the amount of pain, That was when I finally realized the meaning of the story to Der Froschkönig. Frederica Bernkastel