Higurashi When They Cry: Atonement Arc, Vol. 4 - manga (Higurashi, 18) (Volume 18)

Rena Ryuga has utterly believed the lies of Takano's scrapbook. Suffering from a madness, one that has afflicted characters in various worlds, she thinks everyone is out to kill her, that she's been poisoned by the same toxin that killed Tomitake.To get her cure and save her village, she takes her school hostage. Threatening to kill everyone unless the police find the cure and help her take down the Sonozaki family, she's completely unhinged. Only Keiichi, barely trusted by Rena, has a chance to save her.Because he remembers a time when he went insane in another world. When he made the mistake and couldn't trust his friends. If anyone can reach through Rena's madness, it is him. Will he succeed? Will he atone for his past sins by stopping Rena from doing any more harm?This is a powerful manga. It's some of the best out there. Everything fires as it's a race against time to save not only themselves, but Rena. It's up to Keiichi. It's amazing. The stakes are high. We've seen these arcs end in tragedy time and time again. And finally, we have a chance for a happy ending.We're desperate for it.Higurash is powerful and engrossing. The art is stupendous. The emotions are captured in black and white. It shines!

I've been ever so patiently waiting for this to get shipped to me, resisting the urge to track it down at my local bookstore. This volume wraps up the Atonement arc, which is the answer ark to the Abducted by Demons question arc that the entire series started off with. We get to see a similar situation, only this time we get to see the viewpoints of the people around the conflicted person as well as that of Rena herself.Story-wise, there's a lot to like here. If you're one of the readers who keeps getting frustrated that the endings and story arcs are just repetitions of everything that's come before (only with a few changes), rest assured that this final volume is not like any of the ones that came before. We're getting closer to the end of the answer arcs, with Atonement being the halfway mark and setting things up to reveal what is ultimately going on. If you're like me and have been following along with the story via the anime episodes or through other avenues, then you're pretty aware of where Ryuzaki07 is ultimately leading to and can spot all of the obvious clues. For those who are lucky enough to be reading all of this for the first time and have resisted the urge to read spoilers (so disciplined!), then you have the extra treat of being able to play Sherlock Holmes and piece together the clues to see what's going on.Art-wise, this was great. It's a cute style and I really enjoyed all of Rena's facial expressions and her demeanor. There's a reason why she's one of my favorite characters: when she decides to jump the train to crazy town, she goes all out. (Although I have to say that my favorite character can change depending on who the current arc focuses on!)This is absolutely worth getting in my opinion, and if you're a fan of Higurashi then this will be an obvious "must have". If you're a little hesitant due to the amount of volumes out there, then that's understandable. In that case I recommend looking into seeing if your local library has any of the volumes available and reading them through there. (Or read them on the bookshelves of your local bookstore or watching the anime, which is good but not as good as the manga at times.)

I also love the art.

The book came in perfect condition! :3

The law is beginning to catch onto the scheme of the Sonozaki family ... or IS it? Rena has convinced Detective Ooishi that the Sonozaki's are after her, and are behind the bioterrorist plot to spread a plague of parasites throughout Hinamizawa. However, what he did not account for was Mion presenting him with numerous additional scrapbooks pieced together by Miyo Takano, each more absurd than the last. These books make it painfully clear to Ooishi that Miyo Takano's theories cannot be taken seriously, and that Rena Ryugu believes the lies revealed to her in the scrapbook she owns.Meanwhile, Keiichi attempts to reaffirm his friendship with Rena, and in doing so, seems to help her calm herself down. However, all this turns out to be for naught, as the next morning, Rena suddenly holds their entire class hostage with a massive spiked cleaver, all in a bid to make the police take her seriously.Caught between the homicidal Rena and the desperate Ooishi, Keiichi must somehow communicate to him Rena's plot and allow him to formulate a deterrent before Rena begins killing children. But every time Keiichi thinks he's gotten somewhere, Rena matches his tactics and stays one step ahead, dowsing the entire room and her hostages in gasoline and threatening them with a lighter. Somehow, Keiichi and Ooishi must work together to distract Rena so that the hostages can be rescued and to prevent the entire school from going up in flames when Rena reveals her final trump card.Every time the story of Higurashi repeats itself, it ends in a horrific and bloody tragedy, and history may yet repeat itself once again. The only thing standing in the way of this cruel fate may be the mere fact that Keiichi is armed with the knowledge of a past scenario and is determined to steer Rena away from her rage and save everyone, including her. The only question is: can it be done?Previous stories in this manga have all featured one member of this group of friends getting involved in, and helplessly falling prey to, tragedies that have been nothing but inevitable. The Atonement Arc presents a beacon of hope in the form of Keiichi, one that may provide a chance for the young protagonists to fight the impending tragedies through nonviolent means, quite contrary to the norm of the series.Surprises behind every corner will keep readers of this series on the edge of their seats, and on the brink of confusion on some occasions. Not to worry, though - you won't stand any chance of going crazy upon finding out the conclusion of this Arc.-- David Gromer

Brilliant

Arrived damaged