Suspicion, human nature

These past two days I watched the anime "Higurashi," and I felt very oppressed, while also realizing how fragile humans are. Humanity is truly a fragile existence; the fragility of human nature is more like glass, shattering beyond repair with just a slight touch.

It was originally a village that seemed incredibly peaceful, fresh, and natural. But it seems I was mistaken—this is definitely not a good place. Everything in front of you is a façade, hiding dirtiness behind beauty. The seemingly peace-praying "Nagayoshi" festival, its true essence isn't so beautiful, is it! Every five years, one person dies and one person disappears, called retribution—this can probably be considered a curse. The entire village exists under a curse. Facing death, hands clamping the throat making it hard to breathe. Constantly shirking responsibility leads to no escape; one can only cycle repeatedly, waking from nightmares only to continue them.

An unrelated young person is reluctantly drawn into this nightmare and thus never wakes up.

The story is quite bizarre, with elements of mystery and crime. It's inherently captivating, but I think it is the characterization that truly stands out. Here, I call it the change of the "next second."

What was once a beautiful village, the next second, accidents occur one after another; what was once a warm and harmonious scene, the next second, various negative emotions surge, filled with suspicion, regret, lies, and jealousy; what was once a gentle and considerate girl, the next second, her smile becomes terrifying and grotesque.

Seeing sulking faces, pupils constricted, terrifying smiles, and contorted faces repeatedly, I feel the urge to pause and put my phone down. That's right, because it starkly exposes the darkness of the human heart in the sunlight. Dirtiness, like filth, is fully displayed, evoking disgust—the ugliness of human nature is revolting.

The protagonist lives amidst deceit and lies, while also deceiving others. What is friendship? It is shattered by lies. When the lies are uncovered and the truth is presented, he expresses anger over the persecution of his friends, while the other side, oblivious, continues to smile in front of him. What would you do? Driven to madness, questioning the other results in being questioned yourself, trapped in a dire situation. Like a dual personality, you don't know what monster stands before you. Fear, inescapability, trying to speak but no one listens. Trust becomes impossible because you can't—the thought of trusting an enemy, even if they were once a friend, is unbearable.I, Xiao Guan, have some thoughts on 'Cold Cicadas'. Those interested can take a look, but personally I don't really recommend it. If any moderator has time, please move this post to Emotional Literature — it was posted in the wrong section. Thanks again.