Satokowashi-hen Part 3

Satokowashi-hen Part 3 (郷壊し編其の参, Village-Destroying Chapter Part 3) is the twentieth episode of Higurashi: When They Cry - GOU and the third episode of Satokowashi.

Synopsis[]

Japanese[]

念願だった聖ルチーア学園での新しい生活を手に入れた梨花は、学園の人気者になっていく。

一方、校風にも勉強にもついていくことができなくなっていた沙都子は、補習の毎日を送っていた。

English (Translated)[]

Rika gets the new life she has longed for at St. Lucia Academy, and becomes a popular girl at the school.

On the other hand, Satoko, who can no longer keep up with the school culture and her studies, spends her days taking remedial classes.

Preview Gallery[]

Plot Summary[]

Prologue[]

June 1987. At St. Lucia Academy, many girls are excited to see Rika enter the main building with her posse. Rika gives a polite greeting to everyone when Satoko walks up and addresses her more casually, commenting on her good spirits. One of Rika's friends admonishes Satoko, saying her manner of speech is not fit for someone like Rika. Rika steps forward and admits to Satoko that they haven't talked lately and will make time that afternoon. Satoko cuts her off and asks when she'll stop acting, as this isn't like her at all. She's worked hard to get into St. Lucia and make Rika's dream come true.

Rika is about to say something and notices the other girls standing around and watching. She tells Satoko to stop but she goes on about how she hated studying, but it was all for Rika. Rika finally tells her to be quiet, reminding her that this is St. Lucia and not the Hinamizawa Branch School, so Satoko needs to act like it. Satoko brushes her off and walks away. As Satoko leaves, Rika's companions mock her for behaving in such a way. Rika tells them not to speak ill since Satoko has saved her countless times, and is a master at setting traps. She asserts that Satoko can do everything better than Rika could, only if she tried. Rika believes Satoko is acting out because she's unable to get used to the new environment and asks her friends to not judge her for it.

A lone Satoko stares out of a window in the hallway as other students get ready for the morning classes.

First Half[]

At night in her dorm, Satoko studies at her desk but gets fed up, soon sneaking out. She enters the main building and looks up at the chandelier. Satoko thinks that Rika's upbringing in the countryside and sudden transition to such an uptight place has merely entranced her for a bit and remembers how much fun Rika had with club activities. Satoko is sure that if Rika can remember those fun times in Hinamizawa, she'll turn back into the Rika she knows and loves.

The next day, Rika's posse enters the main building like usual. Satoko watches them from behind a doorway, saying that this act will awaken Rika's true nature. She snaps her fingers and metal wash basins suddenly fall from the chandelier and onto Rika's group. Satoko laughs and looks at the results of her handiwork only to see that one of the girls is bleeding. A teacher comes out and demands to know who pulled this prank, telling the wounded girl to go to the infirmary. Rika tends to her wounds while Satoko says to herself she never wanted to hurt anyone. Rika then notices Satoko looking at her, giving a neutral expression as Satoko runs off.

At the infirmary, the teacher says nothing like this has ever happened at St. Lucia and asks the girls if they know who the perpetrator is. Rika denies knowing anything. The teacher tells them to go to class when they're finished and leaves. One of the other girls however, goes after the teacher and says she might know who did it.

During class, the teacher goes to Satoko's desk and tells her to come along. The next thing she knows, Satoko's changed into an orange outfit and is locked in a prison cell. The teacher says she'll stay in there a good while as she reflects on her actions. Satoko asks why she suspects her, and the teacher says a student told her she was good at setting traps; Satoko thinks back to Rika. There was also security camera footage of Satoko sneaking out of her dorm last night. The teacher asks what Satoko has to say for herself, and the girl just silently falls onto her bed. The teacher says Satoko will stay there until she's thought long and hard about her decisions, commenting that she should do it soon so she can get back to class.

Satoko goes up to the door and desperately asks to be let out. Unanswered, Satoko clutches her chest and cries, thinking back to years ago. She remembers Rika asking her to fulfill her dream with her in that Okinomiya bookstore and wonders why she didn't say no. Satoko wishes she could go back and do everything all over again. During class, Rika gazes over at Satoko's empty seat. Days pass, and Satoko is finally freed from imprisonment. Rika enjoys another tea time with her group as Satoko walks the dark hallways alone.

The teacher tells Satoko that she'll be in the Special Class for her second year.and can get back into Regular Class if the gets her grades up. She tells Satoko she can do it with enough effort, and as she leaves Satoko says the teacher doesn't really believe in her. Yet more time passes. Satoko and other girls in the Special Class are toiling away at their notebooks. Satoko gazes outside the window.

When Satoko returns to her dorm, she finds a letter addressed to her. The sender: Mion Sonozaki.

Second Half[]

"Dear comrades who've grown used to leading clean and principled lives—I hope you still haven't forgotten the club member spirit where you aimed for victory even if it meant you had to drag yourself through mud! Let us assemble once again in Hinamizawa! The time has come to bathe in your fellow contenders' blood!"

— Mion's letter calling for the reunion of the Hinamizawa Games Club.

Satoko and Rika wait outside St. Lucia, where Mion pulls up in a van. She asks the girls if they're ready, and Satoko says they have permission to travel off-campus. Excited, Mion sets off. During the drive, she expresses her surprise at how much they've grown, and that Rika must be the center of attention. Rika likewise is surprised at Mion's growth and says she must have all of Keiichi's attention. Mion laughs. Rika says she might be a lady now, but she's still the same.

Satoko says Mion must be going to the same college Keiichi and Rena are going to. Mion affirms it, Gogura University, where they've set up another games club. Rika figures the new club must be having lots of fun. Mion hopes Satoko and Rika will graduate soon and join them, since getting into Gogura U. will be easy with their St. Lucia grades. Satoko asks where they're meeting the others, and Mion says she should know where the four legendary founders will be meeting: she roughly turns a corner as Hinamizawa Village comes into view. Satoko is excited to be back in Hinamizawa after so long. Rika is also excited and gives a nipah; Satoko seems to react sadly to this.

The group drives to the Hinamizawa Branch School, where Keiichi and Rena await them. Satoko and Rika banter amongst themselves, and Rika hugs Rena while calling Satoko a bully. Rena goes into kyute mode over this and punches Keiichi and Satoko, leaving a smoldering crater. Keiichi weakly asks why he got hit as well.

Inside the school, Mion asks the club if they're ready. Seeing everyone's enthusiasm, Mion fishes around in her old locker and sees a certain deck of cards is still there. She pulls out a certain marked card, which everyone recognizes as the six of spades. Mion announces they'll be playing Tycoon first, with the same rules as last time. Satoko asks if dirty tricks are allowed, and Mion reminds her of Rule #2: always strive for victory with everything you have. Mion says the five of them could never get through games without relying on traps. Satoko seems saddened by this statement, but she quickly busts out her trademark laugh. Mion says they'll have punishment games of course, where they'll write them down and put them in a hat.

In the first round, Rena loses and draws one punishment: "act like a maid", which Rena fulfills by saying "Master." In the second round, Satoko loses and has to act like a baby sister. Mion loses the third round and has to put on a school swimsuit. During the fourth round, Mion tells Rika to make Keiichi pay, but she winds up losing and has to wear cat ears.

Keiichi finally loses the fifth round. He begins drawing for his punishment, but he has an idea of what it will be, realizing that everyone wrote down the same penalties they did years ago. Despite his bad feeling, Keiichi draws his punishment: "every penalty drawn so far." Keiichi asks where he's supposed to find a swimsuit, and Mion gestures to her own. Keiichi tries to run away, and Satoko trips him with a rope trap. Rika says Keiichi has to be good now, and he gives a strained "Mistress."

The club exits the school and reminisces on how fun their games were. Satoko asks Mion what they'll do now, and she says they're going to Angel Mort for dinner, where Shion is. Keiichi asks if she's treating them, and Mion figures she should since she got to see Keiichi in a swimsuit. Mion asks everyone to get in her van, and Satoko laments having to leave Hinamizawa again. ion asks what's wrong, and Satoko asks if she can go walking around the village first. Keiichi says they can come along, but Satoko wants to go alone. Mion says she can call Angel Mort when she's done, and she'll come pick her up. Rika goes up to Satoko and says she'll be waiting. Satoko watches the van leave, her expression falling afterwards.

Satoko strolls around the village and hears some old people saying the school building will be torn down soon. She goes to the abandoned Houjou residence and stares at it a while. Finally, Satoko goes to the Furude Shrine and looks at the shack where she and Rika used to live in, which has been destroyed. Satoko asks a passing-by old woman what happened to it, and she replies that it collapsed during a snowstorm last year. It was run-down due to nobody living inside it.

Satoko overlooks the village at night, the lights in the houses glowing. She then goes over to the ritual warehouse, which she remembers from her childhood: she climbed up the roof and snuck inside. She wonders if Oyashiro-sama is still angry at her for that, and then she hears a sound emanating from inside. Satoko enters the warehouse and looks at the statue of Oyashiro-sama, where the sound seems to be coming from. She touches the chest of the statue, which cracks open and causes a horn to fall out. The horn emits the same sound.

Satoko touches the horn, which glows and sends her to the Sea of Fragments. Satoko looks awestruck. Just then, a mysterious horned woman holding a khakkara says it's been a long time since she met Satoko and addresses her as "child of man."

Soundtrack[]


Start Time	End Time	Track	OST	Description
0:47	2:11	N/A	N/A	Satoko talks to Rika
2:15	3:42	I believe what you said	I believe what you said	Satoko ends the discussion
5:36	6:12	N/A	N/A	Satoko's trap hurts someone
7:32	8:55	N/A	N/A	Satoko is imprisoned
13:04	14:07	Uneventful ~ Slow Ver.	Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai Original Soundtrack	Mion drives to Hinamizawa
15:27	15:59	After School	Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Original Soundtrack	Satoko is happy to use traps in the games
16:03	18:03	Match!	Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Original Soundtrack	The game begins
18:40	19:03	Kimeru ze! [I've Decided!]	Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Original Soundtrack	Keiichi tries to shirk punishment
20:44	21:52	N/A	N/A	Satoko walks around the village
22:01	23:44	Fukisokusei Entropy	Fukisokusei Entropy	Satoko enters the ritual warehouse.

External Links[]

Official anime website with preview images and synopsis