Part 1
30.09.2021
Deciding to join in immediately after reading the plot
— Finally, Sotsu is reaching its climax. How do you feel about it?
Director Keiichiro Kawaguchi: We’ve been working on it continuously since Gou and I feel like we’ve finally reached the climax. We are still working on the final episode, but I think we are finally at the stage where I can talk to a lot of people about it.
— Is the reaction from the people around you big?
Kawaguchi: It is. People around me who like Higurashi often tell me that they are looking forward to the next episode.
— What specific responses did you get?
Kawaguchi: Many people are still curious about the rest of the story. I’ve also been watching the reactions on social media, and it’s refreshing for me to see viewers enjoying the story week by week.
For me, there was a long time when I couldn’t say anything, so now that I can finally talk, I don’t know where to begin *laughs*
— *Laughs* It’s a series of developments that have me eager to see what happens next and following Gou social media are abuzz with discussion.
Kawaguchi: That’s right. As for Sotsu, many of the secrets have already been revealed, but when Gou was on air, I really enjoyed seeing the feedback. (At the time of publication) it’s still unknown what will happen to Satoko, so many people are wondering if the situation will ever settle down.
— I heard that preparations for the production had been underway for quite some time, but how long you have been involved as a director?
Kawaguchi: I think it was about three years ago when I went location hunting, so it must have been around that time. At first, I was invited by the president of Passione to talk about making a new Higurashi anime.
At that point, I hadn’t heard whether it was going to be a remake or a sequel, but the plot I received was very interesting and I wanted to deliver it to the audience by myself, so I responded the same night that I will do it.
Immediately, I received a mountain of additional materials *laughs*
— By the way, what kind of impression did you have of Higurashi before you took on the role of director?
Kawaguchi: I have always enjoyed the older works as an anime fan. I had already been working in the animation industry, so I hadn’t been able to watch as many games as I would have liked, but this time, when I saw the plot, I knew it was something I wanted to do, so I studied hard.
— The game is very big, isn’t it?
Kawaguchi: I was once offered a storyboard job for Umineko no Naku Koro ni, although I had to turn it down due to scheduling conflicts. At that time, I was presented with the materials, and when I saw the enormous amount of text, I was left with the impression that this work would be very difficult.
— Was the content of Sotsu already written into the initial plot?
Kawaguchi: In the beginning, the story was not divided into two parts, Gou and Sotsu, and although the core of the story was fixed, the number of episodes had not been decided yet. We hadn’t even decided that Hayashi (Naoki) would be in charge of the series composition yet.
From a viewer’s point of view, “it’s a pretty wild anime”.
— From here on, I would like to ask you to look back at each chapter and tell us about the production. Let’s start with Onidamashi-hen and Oniakashi-hen.
Kawaguchi: Strangely, though we were trying to depict the story behind the first episode of Gou, but I think we were able to create a “new Higurashi”. I think many people were expecting to see the other side of Rena that was not shown in Gou, but that Rena is there because Satoko became a witch. I’m sure the viewers had a lot to think about.
— How do you feel about the reaction of the viewers through the Onidamashi-hen and Oniakashi-hen?
Kawaguchi: I knew Satoko was going to come off as a real jerk *laughs* I think we were able to make a big impact in many areas, such as the fact that Rina (Mamiya) has become a good person.
— As you said, I was really surprised at what Rina said and did, and how it unfolded.
Kawaguchi: Rina had developed a sense of regret by repeating the loops, but for Rena it didn’t matter if she changed or not.
From the perspective of a viewer who knows how they feel about each other, I think it must have been very sad. I think we were able to express ourselves responsibly, and we felt like it was what we wanted to see it as viewers.
— How did you feel when you saw the anime yourself?
Kawaguchi: I thought it was pretty wild *laughs*
— *Laughs*
Kawaguchi: It’s been a long time since I’ve started working on this project, so I was able to enjoy it with a surprisingly fresh feeling. In the animation production process, a director’s job is done when he finishes checking the storyboards, and after that, his main job is to check various things, so it was quite a while ago that I was actually working with my own hands.
So I enjoy it from the audience’s point of view to the extent that I often agree with their reactions *laughs*
However, while looking back at it from various perspectives, I believe that I was able to properly present the idea of “This is Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Sotsu” in episodes 25 and 26 (Oniakashi-hen).
— If you had to pick a memorable scene from Onidamashi-hen and Oniakashi-hen, what would it be?
Kawaguchi: I think the scene between Rena and Rina at the garbage dump is well done. The animation also did a great job. Especially Mai Nakahara, who played the role of Rena, did an amazing job with her acting. Since I was not asked to act so crazy in Gou I was more impressed by the craziness of this scene.
The story is made with the original work in mind. What is the scene where the various feelings unique to this work intersect?
— In Watadamashi-hen and Wataakashi-hen Mion developed L5.
Kawaguchi: I was thinking to myself, “What a horrible thing to do to Mion” *laughs*
— So you were watching from the audience’s perspective after all *laughs*
Kawaguchi: I still want to reset my memory and take a closer look back at the story, because I’ve read the plot before I had time to enjoy Mion’s struggle. I’m sure I would genuinely think something like “Satoko is terrible” or “Mion is cute”.
— As you said, the struggle of Mion is striking.
Kawaguchi: I wrote the scenario for Gou myself, so I was tracing the development of the original work, and in between, I was working on it with the idea that each phenomenon was happening here. So, I’m finally able to show you the other side of the story.
I would like you to go back and look at it together with the original because you will understand why the scenes depicted in it were not depicted in Gou.
— There were many descriptions of what might be going on behind the scenes.
Kawaguchi: That’s right. Like dropping Rika into the toilet tank.
— Are there any points that you would like us to pay attention to again?
Kawaguchi: The climax of the fight between Mion and Satoko is the point where the story connects for the viewer, since it was shown in Gou for a moment.
In this scene, Satoko was originally taught gun skills by Mion, but Mion didn’t remember that in the world of Sotsu. It’s a scene where these various feelings intersect… it’s a good scene *laughs*
— Were Satoko’s actions in Gou and Sotsu there in the original Ryukishi07’s plot?
Kawaguchi: Most of the events were there from the beginning, but since I was entrusted with the depiction of them in the anime, I tried to add intensity. I haven’t heard what Ryukishi07 has to say about it yet *laughs*
— Have you been able to see him much, considering the state of the world right now?
Kawaguchi: Yes, I even met him a few times during recording. However, his company was present at every recording, and the feedback time was very quick, so we were able to incorporate his requests in many places.
Not only in this work, but also in the second half of the project, I was not able to talk to the voice actors as much because I was working remotely a lot. In the first half of the recording, we were able to communicate closely in the same booth, so there was no problem with communication, but I also would have liked to have had some casual chat if possible.
Exploring the character of Satoko through SSR Teppei
In “Higurashi”, there are cases where a person other than Rika inherits memories and something miraculous happens as the loop repeats, and the existence of the person who played a key role in the miracle is called “SSR” (Super Special Rare), as in gacha games. For example, Keiichi from Onidamashi, Watadamashi and Tataridamashi is often referred to as “SSR Keiichi” because he inherited his memories, did not develop the syndrome, and made choices that should have averted the tragedy.
— In this work, Satoko was acting behind the scenes as the central figure of the story, but she was depicted in a stronger way in Tataridamashi-hen and Tatariakashi-hen.
Kawaguchi: It has been long-awaited. In the previous work, there was a story that Satoko may have been abused. But in Gou, there is no mention of it. Furthermore, I think many people were surprised by the change in Teppei’s character. When I read the plot, I felt that Teppei was like a heroine *laughs*
— That’s true *laughs*
Kawaguchi: This time, he is a more important character than in the previous work, as he is sometimes the main focus of the story. In the anime, the character Teppei comes into his own, including his dialogue, so I have been looking forward to his appearance for a long time.
— Some fans refer to Teppei’s reformed form as “SSR Teppei” *laughs*
Kawaguchi: Yes *laughs* I don’t know if I can call it a change of heart, as that may be the original Teppei.
But the question is, what will Satoko think when she meets the reformed Teppei? In that sense, I think we were able to delve deeper into the character of Satoko this time than in previous works. This time, Teppei played a major role as an opportunity to do so.
— Compared to the previous series, the emotions of Satoko and Teppei seemed to be paired, and as a viewer, I couldn’t find words to describe my feelings.
Kawaguchi: It was unexpected, and I think it brought me back to myself for a moment.
— It was one of the few unexpected elements for Satoko. In that sense, Ooishi reaching L5 is also quite a rare case.
Kawaguchi: Chafurin (who played Ooishi) looked very happy and joyful in his performance *laughs* As for the story of the child guidance center, I traced the old story on the surface, but added some minor changes. And the parts of the story that were not dared to be drawn should become clear in Sotsu.
— So, in Ooishi’s words, it has really become a “farce”.
Kawaguchi: It’s terrible to think about it from Keiichi’s side.
— This work depicts the emotions of the characters in a way that has never been done before. How was the process of creating it?
Kawaguchi: Probably because it’s something that had never been done before, it was rather easy to create. On the other hand, I may have been more careful with Gou.
— So it was easier for you to work on Sotsu?
Kawaguchi: It’s a story about the future of Gou so I was able to bring everything to the surface. Even Ooishi’s peeing scene *laughs*
— That was a real shock… *laughs*
Kawaguchi: I think that Higurashi is an interesting work, with serious and comical elements mixed together.
— The same goes for Teppei in his apron.
Kawaguchi: Right *laughs* But as a matter of fact, the truth is that the villagers despised the Houjou family. In this anime, it is said that there are no bad guys, but everyone has a little bad in them somewhere, and there is no absolute justice. I think such human relationships are also an interesting point.
— Now, please tell us what you’ve prepared for the final episode.
Kawaguchi: I really worked hard on the last part, and I hope you will watch it. (At the time of the interview) it’s not finished yet, so maybe it will be something you won’t be able to look at *laughs*
All joking aside. I’m sure you already can predict a lot of what’s coming. However, we’ve written it as the culmination of Gou and Sotsu and the end of the original and previous anime, so please look forward to it. I’m sure you will be satisfied with the end.
Perhaps the last two episodes can be enjoyed together as a one-hour special. That’s how much you can enjoy them in one set.
Part 2
30.10.2021
Experiencing Sotsu and the last of Hinamizawa
— So, how do you feel about the last episode?
Kawaguchi: As for the ending, I think now that there was a scene that was a little bit like Evangelion 3.0+1.01 *laughs* The way they jump from one place to another. When I saw the movie, I knew I was beaten *laughs*
— There may have been some similar parts *laughs* It was quite impactful in terms of development.
Kawaguchi: I needed details to match the development of the story, so I used all our sakuga powers in the action-packed episode 14, while I kept the atmosphere of episode 15 calm. All in all, I really wanted to do some more location hunting, but with the current situation…
— Looking back on the production process, please tell us about any particularly memorable events.
Kawaguchi: I wanted to carefully recreate the scenery of Shirakawa-go, which is the model for Hinamizawa, so I went on location hunting early on. In the original game and the old anime, there is a picture of a panoramic view of Hinamizawa, but for this work, we made a new one.
This panoramic view appears in the first episode of Gou and the last episode of Sotsu but I think you’ll get a different impression of Hinamizawa if you look at it again from a bird’s eye view after everything is over. As for me, I was deeply moved when I saw this view after all the work was done, thinking that the time had come for me to graduate as well.
— You probably remembered all the work you’ve done up to this point.
Kawaguchi: That’s right. I hope to be invited back to work on Higurashi because I enjoyed working with the team so much.
Also, the station platform that appears in the final farewell scene is based on the old Nagoya station. The station building from that time has already disappeared, but I gathered as much material as possible to create this scene, so I hope it will be worth seeing.
There is a magazine called Tabi to Tetsudo (Travel and Railways), and they helped me with an anime I was involved in called ISLAND, so I asked them for help again. For example, I wondered what the bullet train’s departure announcements sounded like back then. There is a lot of attention to detail in points like this.
Is this a happy ending or a bad ending?
— The story ended with a grand finale.
Kawaguchi: It’s has shown what happens after all of Higurashi so far. However, if you ask me if this is a happy ending, I don’t know. As in the older works, I think that after the tragedy is averted, everyone will grow up and leave Hinamizawa someday.
This time, Satoko and Rika become separated, but I can’t say if that was a bad ending or a happy one. However, I think this is the way the story should end. In any work, the characters live on beyond the happy ending. I think we were able to present that to the audience in this work. I hope you will continue to watch over them as they move forward.
— Yes, it may not be your usual happy ending.
Kawaguchi: It may make you feel sad. However, I wanted to convey that there is still hope for us as we move into the future.
— Is the development of the climax also in line with the original plot?
Kawaguchi: The major framework follows the initial plot. When I read the plot, I felt that this is what it means to make a sequel. When I heard about this, it was the time when remakes were popular, so I thought that Higurashi would be in the same trend. To be honest, I was worried about whether I could surpass the previous anime, but it turned out that it was actually a completely new work. However, even though it was a new work, it followed the old one and the ending could satisfy you even if you’ve read the plot.
— What was the deciding factor for you to participate in this?
Kawaguchi: After reading the plot, I thought, “I want to do this myself”. I added my own perspective to the content, but it basically follows the plot written by Ryukishi07. The plot itself was very interesting, and I hope it will be published someday.
Where is Eua? What are Satoko’s witch powers?
— Returning to the topic, please tell us about the battle between Satoko and Rika in episodes 14-15.
Kawaguchi: I thought it needed to look good as an animation, so that’s how it turned out. Satoko had Eua, and Rika had Hanyu. Satoko and Rika’s outfits are designed to reflect their respective intentions. One day, I’d like to see the final battle scene made into figures someday *laughs* Tough, it may be hard to sculpt because of the kimono.
— Aside from the outfits, there were also many things that fans of the old anime should not miss, such as the fight on the roof of the school.
Kawaguchi: Yes. I included some homages to older work. I’m sure it was worth seeing from an animation perspective as well. Also, since the story takes place in the 1980s, it incorporates the animation style of the same era. Like Madhouse’s Genma Taisen (Harmagedon). I was trying to replicate that sense of spectacle.
There are many parts of episodes 14 and 15 that are supplemented by visuals, and I think they make for interesting viewing as anime. In that sense, this is the episode that I’d like you to keep attention to.
— Please tell us what you focused on in producing the look of the anime.
Kawaguchi: Overall, there are a lot of “painful” visuals there, and the taste of Showa-era anime is also incorporated here. For example, Tiger Mask is drawn in such a way that you can feel the pain just by looking. There were also other things that I did that are not allowed in recent anime, such as drawing girls with certain facial expressions, but was sure that it’s OK if it’s Higurashi, so I included those anyway.
— In the last part of the story, the relationship between Eua and Hanyu was settled.
Kawaguchi: That’s right. They also had a showdown. Compared to the fight between Satoko and Rika, I think the fight was less messy and more orthodox. As a result, Eua has left, but that doesn’t mean that she has disappeared from existence. I think Eua will still be Eua somewhere else from now on. Though, I don’t know if it will have to do something with Satoko and Rika in the future.
— So she has not disappeared.
Kawaguchi: That’s right. I’m sure she still exists somewhere.
— 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 Hnayuu 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*
— It was also impressive how Hanyuu beat Eua.
Kawaguchi: Yes. The last cut of the anime was with Hanyuu, and the title Sotsu (Graduation) refers to the fact that she ends up watching over the people of Hinamizawa from now on. I think the drawing by Akio (Watanabe) is used for that shot.
— You are talking about Akio Watanabe, the chief animation director.
Kawaguchi: Yes. Akio is a big Higurashi fan, so he was particularly enthusiastic about this project.
— By the way, in the scene of the parting with Rika, Satoko’s red eyes were seen again, so is it reasonable to assume that the witch’s power remains inside her?
Kawaguchi: There must be some of it left. However, she is determined to stay away from using that power and just move on to the future. She returns to the village and is going to use his powers, but manages to hold off. I would say that Satoko the witch is back to being just Satoko.
— And at the end, (Houjou) Satoshi appeared, was this also in the plot?
Kawaguchi: Satoshi is also in line with the plot. However, Yuu Kobayashi (who played Satoshi) was also surprised because it wasn’t planned for him to speak at first. I told her I was sorry that she had to appear only in the last episode *laughs*
No complaints about the performances of these veterans! Noriko Hidaka’s performance as a new cast member is impressive!
— How did you feel about the performances of the cast members?
Kawaguchi: Those characters are already the ones with their VAs, so there was not much to say here. There were times when I had to explain the character’s situation in terms of the story, but as far as acting was concerned, they did perfectly.
It was unfortunate that we had to record separately from the midpoint of the production due to Corona, but I got the impression that everyone knew what the other cast members were going to do. It was a great help to me because the flow of the dialogues was so natural that I couldn’t believe it was recorded separately. Also, I loved the old anime, so I was happy to see that Rena’s acting had not lost any of its charm.
— This time Satoko was the main character, but how was Mika Kanai’s performance? I feel that the story required more technical acting than before.
Kawaguchi: She was able to capture Satoko’s various emotions and make her an even more popular character. I think the level of difficulty has increased, but the performance was done really well, as expected.
— Did you give any directions regarding the performances?
Kawaguchi: I only gave a rough direction. Also, I gave the script to Kanai early on.
— And in this series, Noriko Hidaka has joined the series as Eua.
Kawaguchi: Eua has an unpredictable and wild personality, and as a god-like being, her divine nature has been well incorporated into the story.
One of the most memorable moments for me personally was at the end of the anime, when Eua’s horns were broken and she became a child. We had planned to record the child’s voice and the adult’s voice separately and adjust them later, but Hidaka was able to play both roles perfectly. I was interested to try out if this was possible, and the performance was so good that we used it directly in the on-air version.
— As one would expect. Was there an intention behind the casting?
Kawaguchi: After thinking about a cast that would fit the character Eua’s personality, I sent the offer to her. I heard that at first she thought Higurashi was a coming-of-age story, and was surprised when the characters suddenly started killing each other *laughs*
The endpoint of many Higurashi
— I believe the viewers who watched the last episode must have had a lot of thoughts and emotions.
Kawaguchi: I’m sure that new and old fans alike had many emotions. I wanted people to feel that even though these are characters, they too have a life and the time moves on for them too.
— Finally, is there any point that you would like us to pay attention to again from Gou and Sotsu?
Kawaguchi: Due to the nature of the work, I would like you to start with the first episode of Gou. However, there is a lot packed into episodes 14 and 15 of Sotsu, so this is a particularly good place to look back at.
I created Gou and Sotsu with the feeling of it being the endpoint of the many different Higurashi, including the original works, comics, and social games. However, we hope that you will support it as various related projects are continue to be developed. As for myself, I would like to follow the work as one of Higurashi fans from now on.
Rena-Rena Toshokan 