Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou Episode 17

Nekodamashi-hen, Part 4
猫騙し編其ノ四
Story arc	Nekodamashi-hen
Released	January 28, 2021
Theme music
Opening theme	I believe what you said
Ending theme	God Syndrome
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou Chronology
← Previous; "Nekodamashi-hen, Part 3"	Next →; "Satokowashi-hen, Part 1"

Nekodamashi-hen, Part 4 (猫騙し編其ノ四, Cat-Deceiving Chapter, Part 4) is the seventeenth episode of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou.

Summary

In a flashback to an indeterminate previous loop, Miyo Takano is kills Satoko Houjou along with Mion Sonozaki, Shion Sonozaki, and Rena Ryuuguu. She approaches Rika Furude, intending to shoot her.

The story then resumes where the previous episode ended, with Rika meeting with Miyo Takano and Jirou Tomitake after the Watanagashi Festival. Takano confesses that she is forfeiting her plan to kill Rika and her friends. Rika is confused as to why Takano is preemptively abandoning her plan but is relived to be free of tragedy. The next day, June 20, 1983, Tetsurou Okonogi is arrested by the Watchdogs on charges of arbitrary execution of Emergency Manual No.34. All elements connected to the plan, including the involvement of the Mountain Hounds and Kyousuke Irie, are handled without incident.

Rika sits in the Saiguden, pondering why everything has turned out so well. She holds the sword fragment that would allow her to commit suicide, lamenting how unsettled she feels by the recent events. She worries that someone else is controlling her fate. Some time later, Satoko and Rika look over Hinamizawa and Satoko lectures Rika about being grateful for the happiness she is given.

At school, the club returns to playing their usual games. Rika wins, allowing her to choose the punishment for everyone else. Rika gives each member a note, asking them to do what is listed on each note but not to share the contents of their notes with each other. Satoko's note instructs her to go shopping with Rika after school. On the walk home after the shopping trip, Satoko asks about the other notes, but Rika refuses to tell her about them.

On June 24, Satoko's birthday, the group holds a surprise party for her. The others reveal that each of their notes involve getting presents for Satoko. Keiichi Maebara gets her a vegetable encyclopedia, Rena gets her a toy, and Mion gets her tickets to Angel Mort's Dessert Fiesta. When Rika reveals her gift, Satoko instinctively ducks. Rika determines that Satoko has a similar ability to herself; Rika's present is in a box which, in a previous loop, was booby-trapped with a boxing glove. However, Rika replaced the trap with a teddy bear for the present. Rika asks Satoko how she knew about the trap. Satoko drops her pretense and pulls a pistol on Rika.

Characters