Higurashi Episode 8: Release Date, Predictions, Watch Online

In the very first scene of Episode 7, Keiichi, Takano-san and Shion open the doors to the Oyashiro-sama shrine. Keiichi turns the lights on to reveal the statue of Oyashiro-sama while Shion warns them to be a bit more inconspicuous.

Later, Keiichi finds out the truth behind the Watanagashi Festival and the cotton drifting tradition.

Keiichi is later questioned whether he saw Tomitake and Takano after the night of the festival and later learns that they are missing.

Let us see what we can hope for in the next episode of Higurashi.

1. Episode 8 Release Date

Episode 7 of the Higurashi 2020 anime, titled “Cotton-Deceiving Chapter, Part 4”, has been released on Thursday, Nov 19, 2020 at 11:30 pm PDT.

The anime series is confirmed to have two cours. The first cour will contain 14 episodes broadcasting from October of 2020 to January of 2021.

2. Episode 8 Speculations

Episode 5 ends with Rika confronting Keiichi about going inside the Oyashiro-sama shrine. She condemns him for going inside the forbidden place and informs that both Takano and Tomitake are dead.

Fans wonder what’s next in store for Keiichi as he witnesses a rage-filled Rika for the first time. Will they finally reveal who killed Rika and Satoko?

3. Episode 7 Recap

Keiichi, Shion and Takano-san end up rummaging through the old tool shed with Oyashiro-sama’s statue.

Takano-san tells the story of how Oyashiro-sama helped the people of Hinamizawa and the real truth behind the Watanagashi festival.

I. Truth Behind Oyashiro-sama

Hinamizawa was formerly known as Onigafuchi or “the demon’s abyss”. The villagers were tortured and killed by demons running havoc on their lands.

Then to save the villages a god named Oyashiro-sama descended from the heavens. This god was non-violent and his benevolence made the demons turn towards good as well.

Oyashiro-sama granted the demons human forms so that they would like amongst the humans. Thus the demons lived in the village and soon demon blood got mixed among the residing villagers. 

II. Watanagashi Festival

Takano-san informed Keiichi that the demons ate human flesh. So, one night the mixed blooded human feasted on human flesh like the demons.

The sacrifices were chosen by their god Oyashiro-sama himself. Keiichi learned that “wata” could also mean guts.

So, the night of Watanagashi festival was a practice of the villagers eating human flesh and drifting the guts down the river till it ran red in blood.

Keiichi freaked out upon hearing the story and questioned how someone benevolent like the villagers claim Oyashiro-sama to be, could tell the villagers to kill.

Shion accidentally knocks the statue’s head on the floor. Tomitake-san enters the premises upon hearing the noise and tells them to finish with their story as it is getting late.

Later Keiichi is confronted by Mion and she asks if he was hanging out with Shion, Tomitake and Takano.

Ooishi-san also asks Keiichi the same thing and he is rather confused. He learns that Mion and Shion are from the Sonozaki Yakuza family and they hold great power in the village.

Shion calls Keiichi to inform that Tomitake and Takano have gone missing and they might be the next victim of Oyashiro-sama’s curse. Keiichi thinks it is Shion’s fault that he got dragged into the situation.

The next day in school Keiichi is comforted by Rika. But soon her tone of voice changes, her eyes flash red and she condemns Keiichi for telling a metaphorical kitten version of his night at the watanagashi festival.

Rika informs that the curse of the year, that world, Rika and Keiichi all are finished and everything will later fall back into place like before. She informs that both Tomitake and Takano are dead and Shion is in danger.

The two are interrupted by Satoko as the episode comes to an end.

4. Where to Watch Higurashi?

Watch Higurashi When They Cry on Netflix and Amazon Prime

5. About Higurashi: When They Cry

Keiichi Maebara is a new kid settling into his new home of peaceful Hinamizawa village. Making quick friends with the girls from his school, he’s arrived in time for the big festival of the year.

But something about this isolated town seems ‘off,’ and his feelings of dread continue to grow. With a gnawing fear that he’s right, what dark secrets could this small community be hiding?

Based on interactive visual novels, the anime adaptation of Higurashi has three seasons with a new remake being broadcasted in 2020.