| abstract
| - The episode opens with rain and the child Tanashi Miyoko demanding she die but promising if kamisama--神様-- "god"--does not kill her she will change her future. Lightning strikes the tree behind her. She happily claims she won the bet and demands she be saved. When nothing happens, she concludes that kamisama does not exist. She hears the pursuing orphanage staff and seeks refuge in a phone booth. She finds a 10 yen coin and remembers her father trying to tell her Takano Hifumi's phone number before he died. She calls and Miyoko identifies herself and explains her parents died. Hifumi expresses regret but then wonders why her father would instruct her to call him. As she tries to shout for help, the line goes dead. This is probably because, at that time, one had to continue to feed coins into a pay phone or else the call would be cut off rather than Hifumi hanging up on Miyoko. The orphanage staff appear and as Miyoko flees she recalls what she heard happens to children who try to escape as they catch her. She hears in her mind "the penalty of the duck unable to drink," "the penalty of the squashed caterpillar," "the penalty of the dismembered pig." Returned to the orphanage she hears children being punished as she is dragged before the head staff member--whose thumb she bit--who then drags her away by her hair. The scene cuts to Takano Hifumi at his home looking at a scrap book with pictures of him with Tanashi Takemitsu. He makes a phone call asking to make an urgent request. The scene then cuts to the head staff member dragging Miyoko into a bathroom where he holds her up by her neck until other staff members suddenly appear. The manga is more graphic in implication but not actual depiction in that she is made to "unclog" a toilet by eating its contents. Instead, we shift back to the outside of the orphanage where Hifumi picks her up and takes her home. Significantly, when Tanashi Miyoko--田無 美代--asks if he is Takano Hifumi, he responds by spelling his first name in kanji on the window: 一二三--"hi-fu-mi"--"1-2-3"--and he asks if he may call her "Miyo" which would be 三四 or "3-4." This--三四--she writes on the window as she responds, "I am Miyo." After the advertisement break, the now Miyo tries to help Hifumi with his research and vows to learn more. They "promise"--約束--yakusoku--to work together with a "pinkie grasp." With the next scene it appears some years have passed and Hifumi meets with Colonel Koizumi who calls Miyo Hifumi's "granddaughter." Koizumi has arranged a meeting with various professors to evaluate his research into the Hinamizawa Syndrome. Miyo listens as Hifumi claims the progression of it may be prevented by exercises to lessen anxiety. They labor for two weeks to prepare the presentation. Four men--without Koizumi "who had urgent business to attend"--come and progressively ridicule Hifumi research, declaring the idea that a parasite could control human behavior is "absurd." Miyo wonders to herself why this is happening when Koizumi promised support. The scene shifts to Koizumi being told that he must make Hifumi cease his research and "must take Hinamizawa Syndrome with him to his grave," since his work will "waken sleeping dogs." While not explained in the anime, in the manga it is explained that in Post-WWII Japan this revelation will be a major embarrassment. The manga specifically refers to the "Manchurian Bridge Incident"[1] and implies it may have been a soldier from Hinamizawa who started it. The scene shifts back to the meeting, and when one of the visitors steps on Hifumi's paper, Miyo grabs his leg begging him not to trample on his work. This is a scene which will have significance in later episodes. Hifumi slaps her, then apologizes to her after they leave. His tears fall on his thesis. She leaves him along and hears him crying. She applies herself to changing the future, and is then seen as an adult graduating with mention of her research into parasites. She is invited to join an organization only open to "the highest honored graduates from Imperial Universities." Miyo looks at a picture of her and Hifumi and vows to make him a god. After the end-titles, the scene open at the Furude Shrine where Miyo passes two old women walking down the steps discussing the new clinic. She derisively tosses a 10 yen coin into the offering box, only to have it bounce back against her chest. She then sees a translucent Hanyū in her god- dess form. She asks if Hanyū is "the resident goddess"--koko no kamisama--ここの神様--to which an angry Hanyū observes in her more serious child voice that "a strong will strengthens fate." Hanyū continues that she realizes it was Miyo's will that prevented the change of fate. She then declares she will not lose to Miyo since "someone" taught her "the power of belief." Miyo laughs, challenges Hanyū to "bring it on," and vows to "drag your ass off your divine pedestal!" "Chibi" Rika and Hanyū discuss the etymology Himamizawa insults.
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