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This article is about a character in Higurashi When They Cry. |
Rumiko Chie (知恵 留美子 Chie Rumiko) is a teacher who works at the Hinamizawa Branch School. She first appears in Tatarigoroshi.
Profile
She is a teacher at the Hinamizawa branch school.
She is a student-focused teacher and is trusted not only by the children but also by the villagers.
She is also unimaginably obsessed with curry and has a curry garden behind the school.
The young teacher in charge of Keiichi's class at Hinamizawa's only school.
Though she's still young, she cares deeply about each and every student.
She also loves curry.
Appearance
Chie has blue hair and wears a white dress. She has blue eyes.
Personality
Chie loves teaching and will do whatever it takes to ensure her students are safe. She also loves curry and will not tolerate disrespect for it.
Background
When Hinamizawa's old school closed down, a new school was created by the villagers during the dam war when they rented a building from the forestry service. Chie moved to Hinamizawa to teach there despite protests from the board of education. After the dam conflict, the Three Families convinced the government to recognize the school.[2]
Relationships
- Hinamizawa Branch School Class (students)
- Kaieda (coworker, boss)
Story
Chie is present throughout Onikakushi and Watanagashi, however she doesn't have a sprite in these arcs in the original visual novel.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Question Arcs
Watanagashi
Chie is introduced. Her love of curry is established when she hosts ad judges a curry cooking competition at school in appreciation for the Foresty Service. The students participate for a grade, with Chie ultimately giving Keiichi, Tomita and Okamura a perfect 100 for their perseverance despite the sabotage from the club members.
A few days after the Watanagashi Festival, Chie informs the class that Mayor Kiichirou has disappeared and tells everyone to go home in groups so nobody else goes missing.
Tatarigoroshi
Chie makes her first proper appearance with a sprite. She goes ballistic on Keiichi when he badmouths curry in front of her as part of a punishment game.
One day, Rika shows up alone to school without Satoko. Chie speaks to her in private and worries about Satoko, and the girl returns a few days later. After Satoko has several more absences, Chie asks the club about it, and they explain that Satoko's abusive uncle has taken her back to live with him. Chie calls the child consultation center and promises to do something about Satoko. Chie later tells the club that a child welfare officer visited the Houjou residence, but they saw no evidence of abuse, and both Satoko and her uncle denied that it was happening at all. She also learned that Satoko previously faked abuse with one of her stepfathers a few years ago, which is why the child consultation center is being more careful with how they approach her.
Satoko returns to school and suffers a mental breakdown, crying and calling for her Nii-nii. When Chie enters the room to check on all the commotion, Satoko quickly clams down and claims that nothing is wrong.
In the credits, it is stated that Chie died in an accident while fleeing the Great Hinamizawa Disaster.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai
Meakashi
The credits show that as of 2004, Chie lives in Tokyo.
Tsumihoroboshi
Chie talks to some gardeners at school. Rena believes that Chie is actually a pawn of Oryou Sonozaki and that the gardeners are actually death squad members sent after her. Rena's suspicions are seemingly confirmed when she calls the gardening company's phone number printed on an envelope only to find it doesn't exist. Chie calls the number herself and points it out to a gardener, and the man says that they had their phone number changed, but the one on the envelope is the old one.
Rena runs away from home and doesn't come to school for a few days, worrying Chie. The club tries to assuage her fears when Rena calls the school and tells Chie to meet her somewhere. Chie leaves Mion in charge of class and leaves the school in her car. However, the call was actually a ruse by Rena to get Chie away so she can take the school hostage. When Chie returns to school, she finds the police surrounding the place and trying to defuse the situation. All Chie can do is watch and cry.
Minagoroshi
Chie supports Keiichi's recruitment in running the Watanagashi auction.
When Satoko doesn't come to school one day, a dejected Rika tries to leave school and Chie makes her come to the office and explain what's going on. Rika explains that Satoko's uncle has returned; Chie promises to check it out herself, but Rika insists that it won't do any good, even if she calls child protective services after. Shion and the rest of the club suddenly appear and voice their concerns, and Chie visits the Houjou residence after school.
Chie meets Teppei and asks if Satoko's okay since she didn't come to school, and Teppei claims she has a cold. Teppei cusses her out and sends her away. Chie returns to school and tells the club of what happened. The group decide to call the child consultation center and convince them to take action.
Chie and her class visit the child consultation center
Over the next few days, the club starts rallying people to protest the center, with Chie giving her support by talking to the board of education. Later, Chie goes with her entire class to the center to protest. Satoko returns to school a few days later, but she is still not in good condition.
When Keiichi considers gathering even more people to protest the center, Chie says she can't support him anymore since it would risk the school; it's being allowed to operate thanks to the Three Families, and the Kimiyoshis and Sonozakis won't want to support Satoko that easily. Keiichi and his group talk to Kiichirou that night anyway, and Chie is revitalized and gives her support again. The protest is ultimately successful, and Teppei is arrested while Satoko is saved.
Chie is presumably killed during the Great Hinamizawa Disaster.
Matsuribayashi
Chie introduces Hanyuu Furude as a new student to the class.
In the epilogue, it's shown that Chie and Mion want Keiichi to be the next class president.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou
Watadamashi
Chie hosts a curry cooking competition.
Mayor Kiichirou goes missing after the festival, and Chie warns the class to be careful. When Rika doesn't return to class after break, Chie and the rest of the students look for her.
Tataridamashi
When Satoko doesn't come to school one day, Chie learns from Rika that her abusive uncle returned. Chie goes to the Houjou residence and speaks with Teppei, who rudely greets her and says Satoko has a cold, so she might come to school tomorrow.
Satoko has a mental breakdown when she returns to school and calms down when Chie enters the room. Later, the club rallies the entire village to protest the child consultation center. Chie gives her support.
Other Appearances
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei
Saikoroshi
Rika travels to another world where everything is different. The Chie of this world proves to be near-identical, however she refers to Satoko as "Satoko-san" and not "Houjou-san" since Satoshi is present.
Trivia
Chie in Hajisarashi holding wooden slats similarly to Ciel's Black Keys
- Chie is a reference to Ciel from the visual novel Tsukihime.[3] They have a similar appearance and the same birthday and blood type; share a love for curry; and in comedic skits like the All-Cast Review sessions, Chie is frequently seen using similar abilities as Ciel. Ryukishi07 actually did meet with TYPE-MOON and was given permission to continue using Chie, however they said that "if the content of Higurashi would in some manner cast a shadow on an original character from Tsukihime, they would be able to take back that permission at any time."[4] If Ryukishi did lose permission for Chie, he would write a story about her leaving school.[5]
- Chie's full name may be a pun related to Ciel's name: "Chie Rumiko" sounds like "Chieru Miko". Ciel (シエル Shieru) is affiliated with a church, which would make her a priestess, or miko.
- Chie's dislike of spaghetti[1] may refer to the Tsukihime anime changing Ciel's favorite dish from curry to spaghetti, which many fans disliked.
- In Higurashi Gou, it was considered for Chie to become deranged and kill Rika in a loop in Nekodamashi, but Ryukishi decided against it since she's considered a guest character.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "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
- ↑ Minagoroshi Day 16
- ↑ ACen 2015 07th Expansion Panels
- ↑ Production Journal entry from August 22, 2006, translated by rockmor.
- ↑ Famous Scene Investigation File 100 Q&A
- ↑ Higurashi Gou SP Live Talk. Ryukishi: "I killed the reliable adults one by one. To be honest, in my initial draft, Chie was supposed to be among them too. (...) Chie locked Rika in the school building at night, doing "something" to Rika's finger...But then, I calmed down a bit and reconsidered that part. Chie is a guest character, so I would feel really bad doing that, so I scrapped that idea."
