Higurashi When They Cry Kai: Matsuribayashi-hen. Honestly, my favorite arc/chapter together with Tsumihoroboshi and Meakashi. It does have a good ending, but it's not a completely feel good "everything is awesome and nothing sucks haha" wholesome happy-go-lucky game. (i know that sounds oddly specific, but in short, it's not a completely positive game where only good happens) It has sadness AND happiness, tragedy and joy in one game, i felt really bad and sad for Takano when i saw how she was treated in the orphanage. I learned some important life lessons from just one game. I learned some things about Higurashi and real life in general from that game:

What i learned about Higurashi after Matsuribayashi:
1. This perfect world has no Teppei (doesn't mean he's dead, he's most likely alive, just hanging out with Rina), Shion doesn't go to Hinamizawa's school, (it was extremely interesting seeing her being in the same class as Keiichi and the group in Minagoroshi-hen so, i can't say i am not used to it) no one goes crazy or paranoid and murder someone, either by their own choice or because they felt fear and anger. (ok, i did really like the scenes where characters go insane, but Higurashi is way more than that, it's not some franchise where everyone goes crazy and kills each other, it's way deeper than that, but it does have gory and brutal scenes though)

2. Hanyuu is the 'key' character. Before Matsuribayashi-hen, Hanyuu was invisible to everyone else, but Rika could see her and talk to her. The scene where she was introduced to the class was really cool to watch and i don't know how to explain it, but just seeing her be friends with the group was so satisfying, because thanks to her, they prevented a world where everyone dies, Takano tried to shoot Hanyuu with a gun that had only one bullet, but missed so, the club members won.

3. Memory is a great thing. The other characters remembered some events from the other worlds, and they outsmarted Takano and her group, thus winning them, without murder and going insane. In Minagoroshi-hen, they were unaware of what was happening so, Takano murdered almost everyone, even the most powerful and important characters. In Matsuribayashi-hen, the opposite happened, Rika tried to warn everyone about Takano's plans, and as seen, she was successful in winning Takano and her group.


Real life lessons:
1. Amazing things happen even without miracles. Amazing things happen when you try your best and believe in others. Not always true, but most of times, it is. We sometimes doubt even our family and people who aren't actually dangerous and violent, and to think about it, that does negatively affect our life. When we believe in each other and try our best, then amazing things happen.

2. Fights can be won even without violence. We don't always have to kill and beat people to win, sometimes, there are other ways to win against someone.

3. People who have been abused in their childhood (not always but often) turn to violence and murder as some way of revenge on people that hurt them. It's "the abused becomes the abuser" loop kind of, i am not saying everyone, but some people who have been abused when they were a child can turn out to be insane and violent people who will do unjustifiable things. Takano was abused as a child in the orphanage and was treated badly so, i am not really surprised about how she tried to kill the village twice times. (succeeded in Minagoroshi-hen, failed in Matsuribayashi-hen)

4. Sins can be forgiven, and jerks can turn into better people. Miyo Takano can start her life over as Miyoko Tanashi, (which is her real name) without committing crimes and harming people.