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Not to be confused with Featherine Augustus Aurora.
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This article is about a character in
Higurashi When They Cry Gou-Sotsu and Gou-Meguri.
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Overview
HIGURASHI GOU AND SOTSU/MEGURI SPOILER WARNING
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This article or section contains untagged major spoilers for all of Higurashi When They Cry Gou-Sotsu or Gou-Meguri. Readers who have not completed the story are advised not to proceed further.

Eua (エウア) is a mysterious being similar to Hanyuu that appears as one of the main antagonists of Higurashi: When They Cry - GOU and SOTSU.

While the character debuts in the story in Satokowashi-hen Part 3, she was unnamed until the official site added her profile on March 11, 2021 shortly before Satokowashi-hen Part 6 aired.

Profile[]

A woman with horns not unlike Hanyuu's. Calls Rika her "cat". Awards Satoko with the power to live in loops to provide her with entertainment. Satoko calls her "Eua", but her true name and nature are unknown.

(Taken from the Gou website.)

Appearance[]

Eua has purple hair in a hime cut and has a silver horseshoe-shaped pair of horns (referred to as a memory device[2]) floating around her head. She wears a shrine maiden outfit with a green sash adorned with a medal and white socks with wooden sandals. In her hand, she holds a shakujou.

Personality[]

Eua speaks in a condescending tone and a rather archaic manner of speech, and refers to humans as "child of man". She has a tendency to laugh and giggle when she's entertained by something, most especially because of Satoko's actions. Eua draws a twisted satisfaction from seeing people suffer, most exemplified when she forces Hanyuu to watch as Satoko tortures Rika in one world. She also has a rather nonchalant demeanour, as even when Hanyuu damages her horns and defeats her, she acts like nothing had happened to her.

The "Causality of the Annulus" Eua & Hanyuu story from Higurashi Mei reveals Eua is incredibly bored due to her combination of omnisciency and omnipotency leading to almost any act of creation losing meaning, with the ruins around the Sea of Fragments being an extension of her own psyche. She even uses a piece of herself shaped like "Hanyuu" in order to hold conversations with herself that are actually monologues. She tries to find fragment games that can surprise her in order to escape from her boredom.

Abilities[]

Eua can give humans the power of time looping, allowing them to travel between Fragments. Due to her power not being imperfect like Hanyuu's, humans granted the power of time looping by Eua fully retain their memories from the fragments. She is often seen having her staff float or telekinetically controlling it.

In Kagurashi, Eua is shown to easily overwhelm Hanyuu, as a sign of her mighty power. She is capable of conjuring powerful balls of energy that easily blasts Hanyuu back and can restrain people with bindings made of energy. She is also seen disappearing in the blink of an eye, telekinetically controlling a variety of furniture, and stopping people in place.

The "Causality of the Annulus" Eua & Hanyuu story from Higurashi Mei elaborates more on her abilities, revealing she indeed has nearly limitless power, reaching omnipotency and omnisciency, although due to all that power almost everything loses meaning to her.

Background[]

It is currently unclear as to who she is or where she came from, but she seems to recognize Satoko from another world with a "red sea". Eua describes herself as a nameless being and decided to call herself "Eua" after asking Satoko to create a name for her, getting "ehs", "oohs", and "uhs" in response.

In Kagurashi, Eua refers to Hanyuu as her "failure" and "part of her", and refers to herself as the "original"[3], though it is currently unknown what the exact relationship between the two is. An interview says that Eua is the "perfect" version of Hanyuu.[4]

Hearing Satoko's wish to create a world where Rika can stay by her side, Eua bestows her with the power of time looping, similar to the one Rika has, except Satoko will be able to retain her memories when she dies unlike Hanyuu's power.

Relationships[]

Overview[]

Satoko Houjou[]

Eua regards Satoko as an old friend, referring to her with the names "Vier", "Mitsuyo", and "Anomalous Spinal Cord Specimen LD3105". She claims that Satoko has forgotten who she is after millions of years. Eua derives a lot of entertainment from Satoko's actions in the various Fragments she goes to and is very fond of her.

Hanyuu[]

Eua's exact relationship with Hanyuu is currently unknown, however Eua refers to Hanyuu as her "failure" and a "part of her", and implies that Hanyuu was created from Eua given that she refers to herself as "the original".[3] In Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Mei, Eua's "birthday"[1] is even the same as Hanyuu's, August 1.[5] An interview additionally adds that Eua is the "perfect" version of Hanyuu.[4] Eua is antagonistic to Hanyuu and takes pleasure in making her watch Satoko torture Rika.

Role in the Story[]

Higurashi Gou and Sotsu[]

GouOpeningHornedFigure

Eua's grin in the first (top) and the second (bottom) versions of the opening.

Eua has appeared as a shadowed figure in the Gou opening from Onidamashi-hen Part 2 to Satokowashi-hen Part 1. Her actual appearance is revealed in the opening of Satokowashi-hen Part 4.

Satokowashi[]

When Satoko returns to Hinamizawa in 1988, she hears a sound coming from the ritual warehouse near the Furude Shrine and walks into it. Satoko hears the sound emanating from the Oyashiro-sama statue and touches it to reveal a horn-shaped object that transports her to the Sea of Fragments, where Eua is introduced standing before her.

Eua seems to recognize Satoko as an old friend and calls her by several names, regretting that Satoko doesn't seem to remember her. She knows of Satoko's wish to go back in time and fix her friendship with Rika, offering to grant her the power of time looping. The woman stipulates that Satoko must die for it to work and that it has a cost, but she won't mind so long as she's entertained by what Satoko does. Though Satoko is reluctant and confused, Eua sends her back to 1983.

As Satoko loops repeatedly trying to stop Rika from wanting to go to St. Lucia, Eua is entertained by Satoko's actions. After one of Satoko's many attempts, Eua explains Rika's past looping experience to Satoko and allows Satoko to view the Fragments that Rika has experienced throughout her 100 years. After Satoko finishes, she asks if Eua can bestow the same time looping power onto her. The horned woman can, but she explains that the power of looping doesn't necessarily make the mind immortal. Eua bestows this power onto Satoko, making her able to retain the memories leading up to her death; unlike Rika and Hanyuu's own powers. She also grants Satoko the power to go to the same Fragment the original Rika goes to, so long as Satoko dies after Rika.

After Satoko experiences several loops, she asks for a name for the horned woman, wanting to have an easier time referring to her. The woman proclaims that she's nameless and asks Satoko to pick a name for her. Satoko struggles to think of one, and the woman decides to name herself Eua after Satoko's grunts of speculation.

Satoko's loops manage to reform Teppei into a better person. Eua reminds Satoko that the accumulation of memories is irreversible, and each new loop will make the memories grow stronger; Teppei remembering previous Fragments might be a burden to Satoko going forward. Satoko doesn't mind however, as she can use Teppei to great effect. Satoko expresses her desire to make Rika pay for wanting to leave Hinamizawa despite being Oyashiro-sama's priestess, and Eua decides that Satoko is the new Oyashiro-sama and will be carrying out her own curse.

Wataakashi[]

Eua and Satoko watch a Fragment of Rika and Hanyuu speaking in the Sea of Fragments after Rika's suicide. When Satoko complains of still feeling pain from stabbing herself in the neck, Eua comments that Hanyuu's memory loss power makes her a failure. Later, Eua reminds Satoko that Hinamizawa Syndrome affects people who are far from the queen carrier or are experiencing mental stress, which Mion has never faced in any world because of her duty as the next Sonozaki family head.

Tatariakashi[]

Satoko continues planning to make Rika suffer. Eua warns her that if she ever dies before Rika, then Satoko will go to a Fragment where Rika doesn't exist and was never born. Satoko accepts these conditions.

Eua continues to be entertained by Satoko's antics, especially her tricking Rika into thinking Satoko's abusive uncle returned and all of the later charades Satoko pulls off.

Satoko's human and witch sides begin coming into conflict when she attempts to kill Teppei. Eua enjoys herself watching them fight and stops the human side when she tries to run away. Eua allows the witch side to seemingly kill the human side.

Sotsu ep11 eua and hanyuu

Eua continues to enjoy the witch Satoko's antics. After Satoko and Rika's deaths, Eua acknowledges Hanyuu and comments on her being unable to view the Fragments, asking what she plans to do now.

Kagurashi[]

Eua enjoys watching a deranged Keiichi wreak havoc at Angel Mort when Hanyuu suddenly appears, announcing that she's finally found her. Eua shows her the Fragment where Satoko gets up after playing dead, horrifying Hanyuu since she now knows Eua gave power to Satoko. Eua once again calls Satoko "Vier", regretting that she lost her memories, but is still entertained. Hanyuu and Eua exchange blows, however Eua restrains Hanyuu while referring to her as another part of her. She forces Hanyuu to watch the next Fragment, where Satoko performs the watanagashi on Rika. Eua is greatly entertained by Hanyuu's despair and taunts her, asking what Rika will do now.

Eua watches as Rika and Satoko duke it out across multiple Fragments. When Hanyuu tries to escape her restraints, Eua stops her by stabbing her with her staff. Eua is still waiting for Hanyuu to display her miracle, promising she will do whatever she says if she succeeds.

At the final confrontation where a superpowered Rika prepares to finish off Satoko with the Onigari-no-ryuuou, Hanyuu breaks free from her restraints and rushes at Eua, but Eua stops her with her staff again and says Hanyuu needs to show her miracle quickly or else she'll disappear. Hanyuu declares it's her friends who helped her see miracles and Eua grows tired, dropping several pieces of furniture on her.

Sotsu ep15 small eua

Eua's miniaturized form after her horn is cracked.

Hanyuu emerges and declares that a miracle will never side with Eua, and when Rika discards the Onigari-no-ryuuou in the human world, Hanyuu obtains it and uses it to attack Eua. Hanyuu proclaims that her friends are much stronger than Eua realizes, and the horned woman commends her. Hanyuu successfully strikes Eua and creates a crack in her horn, and Eua cackles and au-au's as she shrinks to a childlike form. Eua admits that Hanyuu has won and disappears.

Other Appearances[]

Higurashi Gou (manga) and Meguri[]

Meguri eua hugs satoko

Eua comforts Satoko

When Satoko returns to Hinamizawa in 1988 to reunite with the club, she recalls happy memories of the club as teenagers. Eua suddenly whisks Satoko away to the Sea of Fragments and, understanding that Satoko wants to return to June of 1983, says she can grant that wish.(Satokowashi Chapter 3) Eua explains that she needs a "replacement" after Rika finished her time looping journey and fills Satoko's mind with all of the memories and Fragments of that journey.

Satoko is overwhelmed and doesn't quite understand, and Eua explains that she can send Satoko back to 1983 as many times as she wants and work for the ending she desires. She then proceeds to do so; Satoko returns to 1983 and spends many loops trying to stay by Rika's side and help her brother Satoshi return, but they all keep ending in tragedy. Eua seems amused as she continuously loops Satoko. By the end, Satoko has given up on trying to bring Satoshi back and decides to continue looping throughout 1983. Eua is pleased and waits to see what she'll do next.(Satokowashi Chapter 4)

Eua and Satoko talk about how they'll loop from now on. Since Hanyuu disappeared, Satoko can't rely on using paranoia and suspicion to make people suffer from Hinamizawa Syndrome, so she'll resort to using H173. Eua makes it so that Rika will lose the memories leading up to her death, and Satoko adds another condition that if she ever dies before Rika, then she loses the game and will stop looping in June 1983. Eua also tells Satoko about the Onigari-no-ryuuou being a weapon that can kill loopers. She notes that Satoko never talked about turning her other friends into loopers and figures Satoko is subconsciously exluding them since they can't handle it.

At this point, Satoko creates a proper name for Eua after grunting audibly. Eua then sends Satoko back to her body in 1988 as the club reunion starts. Satoko successfully kills Rika and then herself to begin.(Satokowashi Chapter 5)

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Mei[]

Eua was added as a playable character. The duo unit "Causality of the Annulus" Eua & Hanyuu had a story script written by Ryukishi07 himself[6].

"Theatergoer of the Torus" Eua[]

Eua summons Satoko to the Sea of Fragments, with Satoko instinctively knowing her name despite having no memory of ever meeting her. Eua says she came to this world out of boredom and notes that she was able to connect with this Satoko now that a "link" has been established. She saw Satoko talking with the club about what food to eat while watching movies and tasks her with finding "exciting" food. Satoko returns to the human world and gets advice from her friends, settling on churros and getting their help in cooking some. Satoko takes some churros to the Furude Shrine's ritual storehouse and calls for Eua, then is sent back to the Sea of Fragments.

Eua obtains the memory of eating churros from Satoko's mind and sends her back, ominously mentioning that she's returning to a "broken world". Satoko forgets about the entire event when she returns. Eua then addresses an unknown person as a "shattered being" and reassures them that she is not interfering with the game board. She says the being was able to observe her appearing after they obtained the Fragment containing the possibility of it occurring, and says that their presence is influencing the people around them and causing them to suffer.

"Causality of the Torus" Eua & Hanyuu[]

Hanyuu eats cream-puff and wonders why Eua is among ruins in the Sea of Fragments. Eua says that even concentrating on answering that helps avoiding boredom for a moment. She explains that the ruins around them are the result of the disease of boredom, a deadly disease that even the greatest witch can't escape from. The closer one gets to true Omnipotency and Omniscience, the easier it is to fall under it. A completely limitless "God" would just sink to the bottom of the sea of fragments and disappear into dust, as they'd become bored of everything.

Hanyuu questions that, since humans don't die from boredom. But Eua argues that humans are never truly bored. They can imagine and daydream. Hanyuu wonders if Eua doesn't have imagination, Eua argues that fantasy is born from the unknown. If you know everything, there is no room for fantasy. Once you know everything, even the pleasure of creating is lost. A human can be delighted once a blueprint becomes a palace because during that creation it won't be just the initial drawing, but a palace Eua brings into existence will be completely known to her from the start. Hanyuu wonders if Eua never feels surprises, and concludes that being omniscient and omnipotent is boring. Eua tells her she searches for ways to avoid boredom, like calculations. Even for a moment, she can feel like she doesn't know everything once she delves into more and more complex calculations, comparing it with rolling dices, where rolling hundred dice with multiple sides starves off boredom more than a single 6 sided dice. These Hinamizawa fragments Eua found are like that. There are multiple dice rolled around, and their results influence other dice. It takes even Eua a moment to catch up with everything going on in these fragments.

Hanyuu finishes her creampuff, asks for another one, but turns cold and says she's bored. Hanyuu berates Eua on how pathetic she is, needing help just to talk by herself. Eua adds that humans would mock her for playing two different roles to pretend to hold a conversation. They move in synchrony and snap their fingers then Hanyuu falls as a lifeless doll. "Hanyuu" is just a Hanyuu shaped piece of Eua, like a puppetter talking with their own puppet. Afterwards, Eua's attention returns to watching the fragments.

Trivia[]

  • Eua's name on the official anime website used to be "Uhmera", but it was changed after March 11, 2021.
  • Eua's discussion with Satoko in episode 21 seemingly references other When They Cry installments Umineko When They Cry and Ciconia When They Cry:
    • She refers to Satoko as "Vier." Vier Dreissig is a character in Ciconia who bears resemblance to Takano. She also refers to her as "Mitsuyo", which can be read as 34; this coincides with the similar naming schemes of Vier and Takano, whose names can also be read as 34.
    • Lastly, she says LD3105. "LD" could refer to Lambdadelta, an Umineko character, while 3105 is a Japanese wordplay that can be read as "Satoko." The same wordplay has previously been used in the Hinamizawa Bus Stop manga.
    • An interview suggests that Eua was also called "Eua" in a prior world by Satoko's previous existence and was well acquainted with her.[7]
  • Eua herself has a similar appearance to the Umineko character Featherine Augustus Aurora. They have the same hairstyle and wear silver horn-shaped memory devices[2]; and wear similar outfits, differing in that Featherine wears a pink dress that exposes her shoulders and cleavage. They also have different voice actors, with the latter voiced by Michiko Neya. Ryukishi07 does not confirm or deny if they are the same character, however.[8]
    • Eua has an SSR unit in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Mei titled Theatergoer of the Torus, while Featherine in Umineko had the title of Witch of Theatergoing, Drama and Spectating.
    • In Twilight of the Golden Witch, it is mentioned that Featherine's memory device was attacked in the past, causing her to gain a different appearance and personality. Eua's battle with Hanyuu results in a similar thing, with Eua shrinking down and saying "au, au".
  • In Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Mei, Eua's "birthday" is actually called "day of descent" (降臨日). Hanyuu and Tamurahime no Mikoto's birthdays follow the same format.

References[]

  1. 1.0 1.1 Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Mei
  2. 2.0 2.1 Higurashi Sotsu Blu-Ray Set 4 Art Booklet
  3. 3.0 3.1 Kagurashi-hen Part 3
  4. 4.0 4.1
    Animate Times Keiichirou Kawaguchi Interviews
    Eua was introduced as a new character, but was there anything that Ryukishi07 asked you to do with her?


    Kawaguchi: We hadn’t received any details about Eua, so we weren’t sure what kind of person she would be at first. I think I remember we talked about whether or not she had a cane after I received the rough drawings… Ryukishi07 described her as someone like a perfect version of Hanyuu.

    There are many things that resemble Hanyuu in her appearance, aren’t there?

    Kawaguchi: That’s right. I remember being surprised to see the horns floating around her head. Maybe Hanyuu will be able to detach her horns when she grows up too *laughs*

  5. "作品紹介 — ひぐらしのなく頃に" on the Official 07th Expansion website https://07th-expansion.net/hig_gensaku
  6. https://twitter.com/higurashi_mei/status/1706594700654989500
  7. Higurashi: When They Cry- GOU Behind the Secrets
    Kanai: Ah, I see. But about Eua, she's called Eua because Satoko goes "Eh...Ooh...Ah..." right? But why do you think she's called Eua?

    R07: Umm...That's...

    Kanai: You can't tell us?

    R07: No. I can reveal that, actually. So actually, Eua was called Eua in her last world as well.

    Kanai: So it wasn't just a coincidence...?

    R07: She recognizes that in the previous world, the Satoko's previous existence (存在) called her Eua as well.

    Kanai: I see...

    R07: So, in this new world, it's actually not her first time meeting Satoko, but Satoko doesn't remember. So she's disappointed. And she's like, "Well, then just call me whatever you want," and Satoko just happens to go, "Eh...Ooh...Ah..." and Eua's like, "You actually remembered me! You really are you after all!"

    Kanai: So that's how it was...

    R07: But obviously Satoko doesn't understand and is just like, "Hmm..." So as a god, Eua is really pleased with this response, but as a human, Satoko just thinks, "Well, okay...If she's happy with Eua, then that's fine..." That's kind of a hidden backstory I have for it.

  8. Higurashi Gou SP Live Talk
    Host: Let's see... What's the deal with Featherine?

    R07: *bursts in laughter* That's some hot topic right there.

    H: Wait, first, am I correct to assume it is her?

    R: Well... indeed, there is a character in Umineko called Featherine that is very similar to that character. But for that character, voiced by Hidaka Noriko, her name is not Featherine.

    H: So you say her name is not Featherine?

    R: She is (not) Featherine (あれはフェザリーヌさんでは...he never finished that sentence)"

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