== Backstory ==
== Backstory ==
When Rika was born she could already see Hanyuu, also known as Oyashiro-sama, who is her direct ancestor (8 generations away). She soon became friends with her, and was the only character able to see her up until the end of the original series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Rika Furude |url=https://www.absoluteanime.com/when_they_cry/rika |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=Absolute Anime |language=en-us}}</ref>
When Rika was born she could already see Hanyuu, also known as Oyashiro-sama, who is her direct ancestor (8 generations away). She soon became friends with her, and was the only character able to see her up until the end of the original series.
Rika is arguably the true protagonist of “Higurashi When They Cry” and in most timelines she is destined to be killed just to loop again into another timeline.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Badescu |first=Remus |date=2023-12-06 |title=10 Anime Characters Who Suffered a Fate Worse Than Death |url=https://screenrant.com/anime-characters-fate-worse-than-death/ |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}</ref> Rika is able to remember most of the timelines up until her death in that universe, allowing her to adapt and scheme in order to survive in the next one.<ref>{{Cite web |title=スペシャル |url=https://higurashianime.com/ |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=TVアニメ「ひぐらしのなく頃に 卒」公式サイト |language=ja}}</ref> She only manages to escape such fate thanks to the help of Hanyuu at the end of the original manga/anime/visual novel series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PiDEA X |url=https://www.pidea.jp/ |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=www.pidea.jp}}</ref>
Rika is arguably the true protagonist of “Higurashi When They Cry” and in most timelines she is destined to be killed just to loop again into another timeline.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Badescu |first=Remus |date=2023-12-06 |title=10 Anime Characters Who Suffered a Fate Worse Than Death |url=https://screenrant.com/anime-characters-fate-worse-than-death/ |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=ScreenRant |language=en}}</ref> Rika is able to remember most of the timelines up until her death in that universe, allowing her to adapt and scheme in order to survive in the next one.<ref>{{Cite web |title=スペシャル |url=https://higurashianime.com/ |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=TVアニメ「ひぐらしのなく頃に 卒」公式サイト |language=ja}}</ref> She only manages to escape such fate thanks to the help of Hanyuu at the end of the original manga/anime/visual novel series.<ref>{{Cite web |title=PiDEA X |url=https://www.pidea.jp/ |access-date=2026-01-04 |website=www.pidea.jp}}</ref>
Fictional character
| Rika Furude | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| First appearance |
|
| Created by | Ryukishi07 |
| Nickname | Rika-sama |
| Gender | Female |
| Class | 6th Grade |
| Family | Mrs. Furude Mr. Furude Hanyuu |
| Religion | Shinto, religion of Oyashiro-sama |
| Origin | Hinamizawa, Japan |
| Nationality | Japanese |
Furude Rika is a fictional character who appears in the visual novel, manga , and anime series Higurashi When They Cry. She was voiced by Yukari Tamura, Shiki Aoki, Aika, and Hiyo Homma, and was played in the stage play by Shiki Aoki.
She is the heroine of the Killing Time Arc, the protagonist from the middle of the Massacre Arc and the Festival Music Arc, and one of the protagonists of the Mio Exhaustion Arc in the Higurashi series.
Rika is the only daughter of the deceased Mr. and Mrs. Furude, and she is the last member of the Furude family, one of the three most influential families in the small village of Hinamizawa. She serves as the shrine maiden during the annual June “Watanagashi” festival. She is believed to be the reincarnation of “Oyashiro-sama” by some of the people residing in Hinamizawa, the deity of the village. Thus, she is treated as such by many. She addresses friends and members of the Three Great Families by their first names without honorifics, while referring to others by their last names without honorifics. Her hair is purple like wisteria, characterized by neatly trimmed bangs and waist-length hair. She is 4’6 (137 cm). She is approximately sixth-grade age, thus 11 or 12 years old (depictions in the Time-Killing Arc, set in 1978, show her already enrolled in elementary school; thus, she is presumed to be in sixth grade in 1983). Her birthday is August 21st.[1][2]
As a hobby, she likes to secretly drink wine (from Bernkastell) behind Satoko’s (her best friend) back.[3] This was changed in later chapters to “grape juice” in some adaptations due to concerns regarding giving a bad example of underage drinking to the audience.
She is the emobodiment of the “cute girl with too much knowledge” manga/anime archetype. Her knowledgment of the world around her determined her manipulative traits, which are, however, not necessarily malevolent in the context of the series.[4]
When Rika was born she could already see Hanyuu, also known as Oyashiro-sama, who is her direct ancestor (8 generations away). She soon became friends with her, and was the only character able to see her up until the end of the original series.
Rika is arguably the true protagonist of “Higurashi When They Cry” and in most timelines she is destined to be killed just to loop again into another timeline.[5] Rika is able to remember most of the timelines up until her death in that universe, allowing her to adapt and scheme in order to survive in the next one.[6] She only manages to escape such fate thanks to the help of Hanyuu at the end of the original manga/anime/visual novel series.[7]
Additionally, she is an infected individual known as the “Queen Carrier” of Hinamizawa Syndrome, a local disease which caused paranoia, psychosis and itchiness to the lymph nodes. It is said that when she dies, patients with Hinamizawa Syndrome go berserk. She goes to the Irie Clinic for a checkup at least once a week with her best friend Satoko. She herself is aware that she is infected with Hinamizawa Syndrome. Her mother often clashed with Takano over the fact that she was being used as research material for Hinamizawa Syndrome, before her mother was killed by Takano’s orders.[1]
She is connected with the franchise of Umineko When They Cry through her connection with the character Bernkastel, which is made of all negative emotions of all Rikas across all timelines.[8]
