Watanagashi-hen: Difference between revisions

| imagejname = 綿流し編

| date = AugustDecember 1029, 2002

{{nihongo|'''''Watanagashi-hen'''''|綿流し編|Cotton Drifting Chapter}} is the second arc in the {{higurashi}} series. It is told from the perspective of [[Keiichi Maebara]] and follows a string of bizarre murders in [[Hinamizawa]] that occur following the [[Watanagashi Festival]]. Its corresponding answer arc is {{meakashi}}.

During one of the [[club]]'s activities, the group all visit a toy store and the owner ends up giving every member except for [[Mion Sonozaki]] a doll. [[Keiichi Maebara]] finds his doll to be too girly and decides to give it to [[Rena Ryuuguu]], figuring that Mion wouldn't want itsomething sinceso she'sfeminine. apparently more into guy-ish things.Later, Keiichi visits the restaurant [[Angel Mort]] with [[Ichirou Maebara|his father]] and finds a girl namedhe [[Shion]]believes is Mion to be working there. ShionThe girl tells Keiichi that she is Mion's twin sister, however[[Shion Sonozaki]]. However Keiichi believes Mionthe girl is simplyactually Mion putting on a more girlish facade in order to live out a different personality. Despite Shion consistently telling Keiichi that she isn't Mion, Keiichi refuses to believe her and eventually goes out with Shion several times, believing her to be Mion.

As things in the club become increasingly awkward, [[Rena Ryuuga]] tells Keiichi that he has hurt Mion deeply in some way. Meanwhile, [[Rika Furude]] begins skipping club meetings in order to train as a shrine maiden for the upcoming [[Watanagashi Festival]].

At the Watanagashi Festival, the club meets up with [[Jirou Tomitake]], [[Miyo Takano]] and Shion. Shion and MiyoTakano tell Keiichi about the [[Oyashiro-sama'sThe curse of Oyashiro|gruesome past of the Watanagashi Festival]], much to Keiichi and Mion's dismay. During Rika's performance at the Festival, Shion pulls Keiichi aside to spy on JirouTomitake and MiyoTakano, who seem to be fiddling with the lock on a [[Saiguden|storage shed]] behind the temple. Shion and Keiichi eventually join JirouTomitake and MiyoTakano when they enter the storage shed and discover an array of old torture implements inside. While inside, Tomitake and Shion hear an increasingly loud noise reminiscent of a girl jumping on a wooden floor, though Keiichi and MiyoTakano appear unable to hear the noise.

Soon after leaving the shed and parting with Keiichi and Shion, JirouTomitake and MiyoTakano are found dead, seemingly killed under strange circumstances. Since the pattern for the Watangashi Festival thus far has been that one person dies and one person disappears, Keiichi and Shion come to the conclusion that the death of both JirouTomitake and MiyoTakano means that both Keiichi and Shion are destined to disappear.

HoweverSoon after, more and moreseveral people in the village go missing but Shion and Keiichi andare strangely unharmed. Shion confides nightly with Keiichi over the phone about her worries regarding the disappearances. After [[Satoko Houjou]] and Rika disappear, Mion begins to act strangely around Keiichi. Keiichi later learns from Detective [[DetectiveKuraudo Ooishi Kurado]] that Shion disappeared the night after the Festival and figuresrealizes that the Shion he had been speaking to on the phone was, in fact, Mion.

Keiichi and Rena work out that Mion is the clear suspect in all the deaths and disappearances so far and, along with the police, confront Mion with their findings at the Sonozaki residence. During their conversation, Mion reveals the dark history of Hinamizawa and the Sonozaki family and confesses to all the murders and disappearances that have occurred. Before turning herself in, Mion requests that she have 30 minutes alone with Keiichi. However, Mion tricks Keiichi into following her into the [[Sonozaki torture chamber]] and reveals that Shion is still alive. Mion incapacitates Keiichi with the intention of torturing him in front of Shion. Rena, seeing through Mion's deception, called the police to enter the Sonozaki residence which cuts Mion's plans short. Mion escapes through ana undiscoveredsecret escape route deep within the torture chamber andwhile Keiichi and Shion are rescued.

Shion is heavilyseverely traumatized and, after a medical stay, begins to sleep in a different house each night due to her fear that Mion will return for her. Keiichi's family receives over $200,000 from the Sonozaki yakuza as a form ofboth compensation and hush money and are eventually given a letter asking the family to leave Hinamizawa. Before the family departs, Keiichi meetssees Mion one last time outside his house. Keiichi, exciteddetermined to meetbring her one last time so that heclosure canby givegiving her the doll he should've given her from the beginning, isgoes surprisedoutside whento see her. Mion stabs him in the stomach with a knife and runs off laughing. Keiichi is taken to a hospital and treated for his wounds where he meets Ooishi once again. Shion is revealed to have fallen to her death at her apartment, which Keiichi believes was an act of murder. Ooishi gives Keiichi [[Ooishi's closure|a bit of information about the case so far]] and departs. Keiichi then hallucinates an un-dead Mion attempting to torture him and dies in his hospital bed.

*'''Tomitake Jirou Tomitake''', died of blood loss after clawing out his own throat June 19, 1983 on the night of the Watanagashi.

*'''Takano Miyo Takano''', killed and burned in an oil drum in the Gifu Mountains June 19, 1983 on the night of the Watanagashi. Upon investigation, the corpse iswas revealed to have been dead for over 24 hours at the time of discovery, which conflicts with Takano's reported appearance during the Watanagashi Festival.

*'''Kiichirou Kimiyoshi''', killed in the [[Sonozaki torture chamber]]. His body was found in a well on June 23, 1983.