Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (Alternate title: When They Cry - Higurashi) Ending

[arukas]

WARNING: MAJOR ENDING SPOILERS FOLLOW! Hey everyone, I just finished watching this anime and I thought it was really well done and really unique. I just have a couple questions about the whole story though that I do not quite understand yet. First, I think I lost the whole point of the anime when I realized I still don't get why there were so many different versions of the story. In the last arc, Keichi has several "flashbacks" - if you can even call them that - of scenes that happened in other arcs. So if they are indeed different variations of what happened at Hinamizawa, how was it possible for him to recall those events considering he died in over half of them?!?!?! Does this have something to do with Rika's whole "neverending June" thing that she mentions in the car in the last episode? I believe it is the very last thing said in the anime, so I'm assuming it is quite significant. What's up with that? And what's up with the whole bleeding maggots thing with Rena? Does that have something to do with the parasite theory that the lady had? And is the parasite theory the reason why the photographer died each arc? Because he was itching away at the maggots bleeding from his neck? And what really is the point of the whole anime? Is it to give different variations of what happened in the town? For now, I am assuming there's more to it and it will be more properly concluded in the upcoming second season, hopefully.

[darkcrystalofthebluemoon]

 

The flashbacks are meant to be ones of the endless repeating Junes before that one. As Rika said at the end "I'll play along with this endless June for as long as you want."

Keichi thinks it's some 'alternate universe' but most of the citizens of Hinamizawa don't know about the repearting June. Rika is meant to be one of the keys to that endless June I believe.

He remembers them because they relate to Rena and for some it takes longer than others to remember. His situation was the 'disease' which causes paranoia (I believe)

The maggots incident Rena believes is that either Oyashiro-sama is really punishing her because she left the village or maybe it's because of the paranoia the disease causes. It may have something to do with Takano's theory, but then again, they ARE just theories. Rena went with that theory as it was the closest thing to the maggot incident. She even was desperate enough to believe it was aliens.

Keep in mind there are 8 arcs - 4 question arcs and 4 answers arcs. In the second season, if there is one (or a remake) they will prehaps be playing only 2 arcs.

Hope this helped ~<3

[arukas]

Definitely helped!
That is more or less pretty much what I was able to deduce too.
Thanksss!