Spoiler Alert: This summary and review contains spoilers.
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As Higurashi’s people are mowed down and their backgrounds revealed, Higurashi is driven to desperate measures.
Plot Recap
Take Responsibility – Kencho, Shizuka, Atenbou, Kurasugi
When it comes to Kencho and Shizuka, they both deal with men who have no accountability whatsoever. Kencho faces off with Kurasugi, who sees himself as the victim of his marriage, after his wife falls out of love with him and his family isn’t affectionate. He sees himself as hard-working, maybe not getting the promotions and money his wife wants him to, but does that justify her nagging?
Kencho puts down a reverse uno and questions if the man did the little things? Compliment his wife, thank her, make an effort beyond being a provider? Naturally, this angers Kurasugi, but Kencho gets the upper hand by diving into a pile of manure that leads the zombies to focus on the man trying to kill him.
As for Shizuka? She is dealing with the gun-toting Atenbou who is hell-bent on French kissing her. It’s an immediate no for her, and in the process of her rejecting him and running from him, he recounts his bad luck. Whether it is things not coming easy to him at work or his job being set on fire, he blames it all on his luck.
Again, there is a counter in which Shizuka asks what Atenbou has done to have good luck. Has he been kind, looked out for others? What has he done that wasn’t selfish?
To prove her point, the elders come rushing to save her, including the one who nearly groped her thinking she was his wife. But, unlike Kencho’s opposition, Shizuka’s isn’t left for dead.
But What If You’re Wrong? – Beatrix, Kanbayashi
Which leads us to Beatrix. The sole woman of Higurashi’s group aims to stop Beatrix from cutting off the power for the electric fence. In her mind, whoever doesn’t follow her way or her rules should be a zombie, which stems from her past issues with co-workers not following her guidelines.
For Beatrix, handling the woman is simple: questioning if she was wrong and disabling the water wheels in an unconventional way. Thus cutting the power and providing herself a means to escape, while the woman is left to die.
Making Sure Things Go Right – Akira, Tendo, Higurashi
While Akira makes it in time to protect his parents, being that Tendo is ill, he’d rather die protecting his family than see his son sacrifice himself. Enter Higurashi, who wants to see Akira turn into a zombie, and uses Tendo to force Akira to sacrifice himself. Which seemingly leads Akira to snap.
General Information
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Network |
Netflix |
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Release Date |
December 25, 2023 |
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Director(s) |
Hiroaki Takagi |
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Writer(s) |
Hiroaki Takagi |
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Newly Noted Characters and Cast |
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Kurasugi |
Ogino Seirou |
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Atenbou |
Takeda Kouji |
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Kanbayashi |
Iwami Manaka |
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Previously Noted Characters and Cast |
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Kencho |
Makoto Furukawa |
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Shizuka |
Tomori Kusunoki |
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Beatrix |
Minami Takahashi |
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Tendo |
Sasaki Yuuko |
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Akira |
Shūichirō Umeda |
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Higurashi |
Okamoto Nobuhiko |
New Character Description(s)
Kurasugi (Ogino Seirou)
Kurasagi, in his past life, was a hard worker, but his work got in the way of his marriage, and to make things worse, he worked hard but wasn’t getting anywhere in life. So, on top of the frustration of not being promoted, he had his wife and child becoming distant – and his wife a bit antagonizing.
Atenbou (Takeda Kouji)
In Atenbou’s mind, he is unlucky. In reality, he doesn’t do the work to manifest luck, from working hard or making the type of connections that could allow something to happen.
Kanbayashi (Iwami Manaka)
As a teenager, Kanbayashi was talented at kendo and was ranked in the top 4 for two years. However, as an adult, it seemed her past success led her to think her way is the best, which led to her being isolated and looked down on because of how anal she was about things.
- The actor is also known for their role in “Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation: Season 1/ Episode 24 “OVA: Eris the Goblin Slayer.”
Review
On The Fence
Shizuka Letting Her Guard Down
A part of me should appreciate Shizuka not being so analytical and doing things more so on feeling. However, her being in positions where she would just put her arms up and mentally prep for the worst to happen felt so out of character it deserved a side-eye. It feels less about her being at ease in Akira’s hometown and the zombie outbreak being jolting. Something just feels off.
Higurashi’s Crew Getting Picked Off So Easily
I get this is the end of the season, and the production has been, well, this is probably the most inconsistent, schedule-wise, anime I have ever watched. Yet, a part of me feels that Higurashi’s crew being taken out so easily, all within a half hour, undercuts everything.
But, a part of me realizes the manga may not have had more to offer, and filler is a major issue in the industry, so maybe between getting to the point or trying to embellish, we got the better option?
Episode Directory
Previous Episode: Season 1/ Episode 10 “Hometown Of The Dead I” (Series Page | Character Guide)
TV Shows We’re Covering This Season
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