Talking about Sotsu is really hard...
Going back in time, in 2020 we had the first part of the New Project of the franchise, which at the same time connected events of the original story, serving as a sequel for the anime, promoted a new experience, different from what was already presented.
It was confirmed that from the beginning Gou was a contradictory season for the show, as it involved a conflict within the very functionality and purpose of what was Higurashi until the end of the canonical arcs adapted from the Visual Novels. What marked the franchise for almost 20 years was set aside in favor of building a new story. An ambitious move, no? It is hard to think that a story already finished had anything more to tell, but honestly the feeling that Sotsu caused in the end was sadness.
The first three arcs (Oniakashi, Wataakashi and Tatariakashi), Sotsu oscillated quite a bit. The project really delivered a good start, where the conclusion of the arc in which Rena starred brought great anticipation for what would come next. Wataakashi was different... It was not the same feeling. The perception I had was that the staff had invested their time to start the show, but did not take good care in concluding this whole new phase. During this arc, it was interesting to see Mion being the real culprit in this little mystery. Of course, we can't forget that in the end the real culprit was always Satoko. When the show gives its plot twist still in Gou, it was expected that Satoko would be put on a pedestal as a villain. Well, that happened. If that's what the anime wanted, it got it. This idea whereby the show sustained itself injected added scenes with the perspective of Satoko having these "two faces". However, from here, it has a problem. Possibly the problem that destroyed much of the potential that New Project had.
From the third arc on (Tatariakashi), I could already see that the show was going to decline. I remember talking to some people about the status of the show during the release of the episodes and I knew that this projection of 15 episodes done the way it was would not be enough. Lack of time? Honestly, no. With 15 episodes it is possible to build a story that would conclude Higurashi, for sure. What prevented that was the time used during each of the parts that solved the mysteries separately. The show did this at the time with the second season. It was a formatting that worked and concluded the series in a positive way. Passione has consistently tried to repeat this, but has not succeeded. Tatariakashi was already a stage where you had both Satoko at her peak of madness, and moments where you didn't know what she really wanted.
Moving on, the franchise took steps backwards when it came to identifying the characters. The final conflict caused a sincerely silly fight between St. Lucia and Hinamizawa. Again, the selfishness that possessed Satoko exceeded her understanding with what she herself wanted. Episodes 10 and 11 demonstrate this, where there is a struggle unconsciously within her mind. A person who is already consumed by hatred against someone who still wants to have her life in peace. I didn't understand what actually occurred with this scene. It was just intriguing and would be a great way to cause Satoko's own redemption about what she did. But as the following episodes went on, that moment really didn't do much good. And even if Tatariakashi's conclusion had been good, the execution of the arc didn't please.
Remember what motivated her to do all this? Not wanting to lose her friendship with Rika was a huge desperation inside the character's heart. And now, she tries to fix it, even if she has to go through several loops and deaths to find the "ideal universe". Selfish, isn't it? This possession awakened a parallel personality that would cause more focus on the supernatural part of the series. Eua and Hanyuu were already characters that had this objective of serving as support to make the show's conclusions easier to reach. It turns out that with Hanyuu, in the original story, the explanations and dramas inserted were answered in a way that caused the interest of those watching. Yes, it's still a pretty boring way to think about it, but it was a lazy idea. Ryukishi could have brought this story turn around with a little more aptitude.
With Eua, same thing... It's really hard to define how far Ryukishi got involved in this original story, but the existence of Eua in the Higurashi universe sparked a problem that would be responsible for the very downfall of the show in the future. This was something that I predicted even in Gou. When there is the addition of an important character to the series, there needs to be a plausible way to contextualize the audience about what is happening.
"Who is Eua?", "Why did she help Satoko, being that it would apparently be of no benefit to her?", "What is the purpose of her existing in the franchise?"; honestly, I'm wondering that even now. Of course, it has the famous connections between Umineko and Higurashi, but I prefer to keep my feet on the ground about that. One cannot ignorantly state that assumption that connects the two worlds. Anyone who likes and understands the When They Cry franchise knows that this is a way to bring a more solid connection to culminate in this great universe, but while it's a good idea, it has displaced the goal of this show.
Speaking of purpose, what was "Kagurashi"? Four episodes made to conclude the series were not enough. Hanyuu reappearing in the astral world to Eua, Rika discovering that it was Satoko who was to blame for everything, and even the existence of the artifact that has the ability to kill those who live in loops... These issues are good at first glance, but insufficient to bring a conclusion. Since Gou I felt that what limited Hanyuu was already irrationalized. It already happened that she said "this time is our last chance" to Rika. That happened in Matsuribayashi (Kai), for example. The show tried to circumvent that and made Hanyuu have an ability and powers without much realistic explanation. It was not enjoyable, it was not captivating, it was not fun to witness after so many episodes the current fragments happen just "because they did".
Episode 14? Well, I don't think the problem with the show was that episode. In fact, it was more intense and was a nice way to bring a conclusion that needed to happen a long time ago. The build up to that stage was creative and I really appreciate the way the show tries to insert the abysmal powers. It was the famous "Dragon Ball" of Higurashi. A compilation of moments that disappointed most, as it was definitely no longer the "Higurashi" that everyone knew. Satoko and Rika awakening a power in a divine way was not really a good choice.
About the production, it was a factor that hurt the entire show. The amount of scenes brought entirely from Gou became more and more apparent as time went on and made Sotsu a definitive recap, rather than a conclusion. Passione experienced problems in writing a narrative that yielded well for the audience, but did not bring something new. Even with more than a cour of episodes left, it's still a sense of expectation to have something that was actually enjoyable to watch. Gou's phase was so interesting. The moments gave a utopian and cathartic awakening for it to have a good execution in the second half of the story. But I feel betrayed. In fact, I feel anguished. Anguished that I have absorbed a franchise that is so important to me and that even though I defended the show's more negative phases, I couldn't really like New Project the way I wanted to. The "miracle" that Hanyuu cites so much in the story is not for Rika, but for the project itself. Concluding the story in a good way was like a miracle, and it didn't happen this time.
Finally, Higurashi is still a franchise that I love, regardless of their criticisms. But Gou/Sotsu was indigestion. It's like you eat a whole cake. You'll be drawn to the temptation and think it's a good idea, but it won't be good for your stomach. As much as Sotsu didn't appeal to me, I can see some quality in it. I don't view this sequel as totally wasted, but I can't give it any more enthusiasm and say that it was a good experience.
