When the Cicadas Cry

Continuing with episode 2. Last time I read up to the end of chapter 7, the night of the Watanagashi festival.

Chapter 8 – the day after the Watanagashi

Initially Mion really doesn't seem to be herself. It led me to wonder if Mion was already dead and this was Shion pretending to be her. But by the time Keiichi meets Mion and the taps she seems more familiar. But based on the next couple of chapters, maybe she just had a very eventful night and was very tired and stressed?

I'm rolling around a hypothesis from previous chapters that perhaps you can be possessed by a demon (or believe yourself to be) and it causes you to act and have no recollection of the events. This could explain certain things, such as the needle in the mochi in episode 1 could have been placed there by Keiichi himself and he did not remember it. If such a phenomenon is know to some of the Hinamizawans, it might explain why they are so cagey with Keiichi despite otherwise seeming to like and trust him: they may be trying to find out if he is possessed while simultaneously needing not to reveal things to the demon.

If we develop this, perhaps we might also ask what it is that allows or causes a demon to possess you.

I still feel that Oyashiro-sama, or at least the agents of Oyashiro-sama, are herding cats, trying to keep these ethereal demons in Hinamizawa. I get the sense of Oyashiro-sama as some kind of arbiter or referee, making sure that everyone plays by some set of unknown rules.

Keiichi describes himself as being unable to reply to Mion when challenged about being with Shion, Tomitake and Takano. While that might be a natural way to describe an overwhelming feeling of shame, I think we should give real thought to the possibility that he is physically unable to respond. This might back up a theory of possession. That said, I felt less strongly about this over time. I didn't see enough reinforcing a sense that Keiichi is going down the same path as in the first episode.

I had an off-hand thought around here that maybe Keiichi's mother was cooperating with Ooishi to get him to go to the library where he could question him casually. She seemed very insistent that he had to go return the books for her.

I note in passing that Keiichi declines to look at the photos of Tomitake and Takano. Knowing the author, I worry that this leaves a loophole that it's possible that the people Keiichi knows as Tomitake and Takano are not the same people whose bodies were found. Still, I consider this a bit out there unless something else requires us to believe it.

Shion introduces us to the idea that being the heir of the Sonozaki family is something distinct from inheriting the family enterprise. It didn't make a lot of sense to me. It felt like she said Mion isn't just going to become head of the family, she's also going to become head of the family. There's some rift between Mion's household and Shion's household and it doesn't make a lot of sense. I feel like at different times it's sounded like one or the other lives in the bigger or more intimidating household, is more central to the family or has more power.

I'm wondering about the relationship between the Sonozakis and the Furudes. Assuming there are still Furudes other than Rika. Who is running the shrine? (This is actually cleared up very shortly but I hadn't quite gotten there when I wrote this down.) Why is Shion happily egging on Tomitake and Takano and why are they so unperturbed about her being there as they broke in? Why didn't they make up an excuse and leave? It feels like all three are conspiring against the Furudes for some reason.

We again find out, this time from Shion, that Tomitake clawed out his own throat. Is he always going to die, and die like this? We also now have the idea that curse-deaths and disappearances are paired together. Are curse-deaths always from throat-clawing? That didn't seem to be the case in the stories of the previous years' deaths. But I feel like the end of episode 1 led us to believe that Keiichi was about to suffer the same fate as Tomitake. Was Keiichi a curse-death or a sacrifice under this model?

Tomitake-san found on the road to Okinomiya (i.e. outside Hinamizawa), and Takano-san in Gifu prefecture (i.e. outside whatever prefecture Hinamizawa and Okinomiya are part of, I believe). Why so far? Did each have to be removed from some particular area? Or was their death triggered by their departure?

Maybe they helped demons escape from Hinamizawa. Maybe the demons killed them once they escaped the village. Maybe they are like parasitised snails, with the demon bursting out of their throat. Maybe the sinking ritual is required to seal the demons back in Hinamizawa.

I don't think this demon-sinking theory can entirely fit with episode 1. Keiichi only appeared to be possessed some time after Tomitake died. This would mean Keiichi wasn't a "disappearance" sacrifice... and that we'd be missing two sacrifices, because there would be at least two demons to be resealed.

We learn that the Sonozakis were formerly enforcers for the political and religious seats of power, but around the time of the dam protests eclipsed them and they have collapsed in power and influence. Oryou is apparently effectively in charge of Hinamizawa.

It's very unclear whether Oryou is still around. It's heavily implied that Mion is either covering for her non-presence or is going behind her back and using her authority for her own purposes. Given her possible death and the deaths of Rika and (I think?) Satoko's parents I can't help but wonder if the children are killing their abusive parents? Alternatively, has she disappeared like the mayor and Mion is desperate to pretend that she's still in place to prevent the chaos that would otherwise transpire?

Chapter 9 – second day after the Watanagashi

It looks like I didn't really write down anything at all. I think I read this chapter with my girlfriend, so I was less inclined to go make notes every few paragraphs. This may give some insight into why I read so damn slowly.

Okay, so Rika uses an allegory where Mion and Shion are cats? But who is the misunderstanding dog who bit the mayor? Ooishi? Another villager? What was the misunderstanding? Is Keiichi one of the cats? The trickster cat??

"Rika-chan bowed so quickly it looked like her head had been pulled downward."

The phrasing here gives the feeling that she's not doing this voluntarily. It's a little odd. But the whole scene is pretty odd. It feels like a more benign version of the scenes where Rena when glassy-eyed.

Slightly wilder theory... if we go with the idea that Keiichi was the one who was possessed and not Rena, should we take the glassy-eyed scenes to be conversations that occur entirely inside Keiichi's head? That Rena or Mion were being completely normal and that Keiichi was the one off in a dream hallucinating what they were saying? If so, what did it look like from someone else's point of view?

I hope you're all having fun with my wild theories. I'm sure you're all very disappointed in me for believing in magic and demons and, perhaps a greater crime, failing to see things with love.

Chapter 10 – second night after the Watanagashi

Keiichi decides to go visit Rika after trying to call her at 11pm and getting no answer. Is he going to save her or to murder her? He did seem to murder Mion and Rena in episode 1, after all...

"He was killed because he found out. I revealed everything... so he was killed."

KILLED BY WHOM, SHION. KILLED BY WHOM.

This is very careful language. This is entirely compatible with Shion herself killing him to prevent him from spilling the beans. Maybe he reacted badly to whatever she told him in good faith? Or maybe she did a villain monologue and then was like "of course, I have to kill you now". This definitely bumps up my suspicion level for Shion.

There would be a certain kind of symmetry if Shion just killed the mayor and Keiichi is about to kill Rika. But I'll also note that we don't have anything like the build-up in the first episode of Keiichi sounding increasingly aggressive and paranoid, so he seems less suspicious.

We find out that Satoshi was Satoko's brother! Hmmm, really makes me want to go back and re-analyse some conversations between Keiichi and Satoko from the first episode.

Mion is overcome by something and rants and raves that Satoko is cursed. Are these fears that have been eating at her? Is she really speaking these words or is Keiichi hallucinating? Through this into the big bag of times people have weird turns and sound like somebody else is talking for them.

Every accusation is a confession... When Shion says they're trying to kill everyone close to us first... if she's guilty... is she trying to kill everyone close to someone else first? Her sister? Mion is close to Rika. Mion seems to be close to the mayor. She's definitely close to Oryou.

I'm not actually sure what Ooishi wants Keiichi to confess. He seems to already know all about the storehouse. He asks about anything strange happening to Mion, but has Keiichi even noticed anything? Oh! If he has a statement from Keiichi he can probably use it to get a search warrant.

Keiichi "lost consciousness" at the staircase when he got home. That's less specific that "fell asleep"... In any other story I wouldn't question it, but this is Ryukishi. Just going to note this in case it matters later.

Oryou disowned her daughter and son-in-law. Is this the divide between Mion and Shion and the two residences? Did she disown them for all of the crimes?

So what was inside the storehouse that was so important? Was it really just some outsiders seeing the (apparent) torture implements? Is that what everyone's getting killed over?

Is Congressman Sonozaki Akane's husband?

What exactly does it mean that Akane lost the right to have a demon kanji in her name? Does she cease to be a demon in the eyes of the villagers? Is it the same for Shion? Is Mion a demon but Shion isn't? Are the disowned taking revenge by hunting down and killing all the demon villagers? Or are demons more like familiars, a separate being that follows you around, like the entity Keiichi sensed in the first episode? In that case, does being disowned mean this demon is forcibly removed from you?

Rereading the forbidden storehouse scene

I reread the forbidden storehouse scene because so much seemed to hang on it. I wanted to see if I could spot anything that might explain what happened there that caused such trouble, or to better understand the motives of the people involved.

They explicitly say that anyone but the Furude family entering will bring impurity. So maybe it's just that, the indignity of the defilement? Does the impurity damage Oyashiro-sama's ability to protect the village? Does it necessitate onerous purification rituals?

Why does Tomitake know how to pick locks? What's his business?

How did Shion know they'd find them there? She clearly knew she was going to find them, or she wouldn't have been able to tell the little "man and woman sneaking off together" story.

Does Shion want to destroy the village traditions? Does she resent the three families?

What is Takano "leaving to" Tomitake? Is he standing guard? Is he doing something else important while they're inside? He does come to warn them that the ritual is over.

Why do they shut the door while they're inside? Just in case someone else comes along? But then they would surely see Tomitake anyway?

Takano mentions the antechamber... it seems like an airlock. They have to close the outside door to open the inner one? But why? Why do they care about this when they don't care about entering without permission and defiling the sanctuary?

How did the demons come to be banished from hell (before they came rampaging out of the swamp)? Do they represent something?

Takano says the story of Oyashiro-sama mediating for the demons and humans and having them live together in peace is the foundation, or basis, of many pieces of fiction. Is each episode such a story?

Shion is confused, noticing something as Takano finishes her story. She feels like something changed. It's not clear what. It later seems to be suggested this was the start or end of the thumping/creaking noise that only Shion (inside) and Tomitake (outside) could hear.

Is there any possibility the implements are surgical implements? Or have any non-sinister purpose? Perhaps they don't even die in the end that doesn't seem to quite match the posited long drawn out execution. Of course someone whose entrails are pulled out and not returned is going to die "in the end". But if they were for some kind of surgery... maybe they don't kill the victim. Maybe they're for implanting or extracting a demon??

At some point Shion starts holding Keiichi's sleeve. Does she need reassurance or is she guiding or distracting him? Is it possible the ghost story is a distraction to keep Keiichi from noticing what they're doing in there? Is there a fourth person and Shion is reacting to what they're doing when she is startled?

Takano invites them to try and hear the torture. Keiichi says he can hear something he shouldn't be able to. But it's a bit vague... is this indirectly telling us that Keiichi actually hears the noise that Shion and Tomitake mention later, but convinces himeself that he cannot?

Shion directs Keiichi's attention up to one of the human-sized bird cages, perhaps a human figure. Again, a distraction?

Takano mentions she could either suffer Oyashiro-sama's curse or be made into a sacrifice. A very big deal is made of the difference between the two.

What was the post-war canned flesh incident???

Takano says Tomitake won't win any Pulitzer prizes if he doesn't bring enough film. Pulitzer prizes are largely for journalism. So he is an investigative reporter? Or is she just talking about herself? She is the one who seems to be taking all the notes and doing all the snooping. But presumably his visits and photography are some kind of research?

Both Tomitake and Shion describe a sound like a kid jumping up and down on floorboards far away.

Did their actions in the storehouse damage, impede or "kill" Oyashiro-sama? Did they do something that removed Oyashiro-sama's protection from the village?