# Rena Ryūgū

Rena Ryūgū (Japanese: 竜宮 レナ, Hepburn: Ryūgū Rena) is a fictional character in the Higurashi When They Cry series. Born as Reina Ryūgū (Japanese: 竜宮 礼奈, Hepburn: Ryūgū Reina), she adopts the name "Rena" upon moving back to her hometown of Hinamizawa following a mental breakdown. Whilst on the surface, she adopts a naive, cheerful, and innocent persona, Rena is perceptive, strong-willed, and reacts strongly to being lied to. In some arcs, her traumatic background and staunch belief in the curse of Oyashiro culminate in her committing violent crimes.
Rena is regarded as a mascot character for 07th Expansion. Her image has substantially inspired the moe genre, as well as menhera and yandere.

## Development and design

According to series creator Ryukishi07, Rena "embodies the world of the story like no other character, a girl trying to be normal in a world that won't allow it". She will kill if she believes she has no choice and is capable of deflecting suspicion under an innocent façade. When Rena is lied to, or when the validity of the curse of Oyashiro is questioned, she becomes hostile and prone to violence. Ryukishi07 said he made Rena weird and close to a pervert on purpose. In a famous scene named the "door scene" by fans, from Keiichi's perspective, Rena tries to force her way into his house to feed him, ferociously screaming with a crazed look in her eyes, all while trying to force her way beyond the chained door.
At certain points in the story, specifically when discussing Oyashiro-sama or when calling out a lie, the light in Rena's eyes disappears and takes on an uncanny appearance, an effect which has become synonymous with the series. Yatazakura, character designer of 07th Expansion, created Rena’s original sprites after studying other games and discovering that the sudden cloudy-eyed effect was a subtle yet powerful way to evoke fear. Ichijinsha noted that, in 2D art, attention is naturally drawn towards the eyes, resulting in an especially unsettling effect when coupled with the shock factor. In the anime, this shift is done through uncomfortably angled framing, as well as a gradual increase in the use of blackout shadows to obscure half of Rena’s face.$^{:108}$
Rena's signature weapon is a cleaver (more accurately, a Japanese gardening tool called a Nata [ja]). Originally an axe, the design was changed during development in favor of a more "stylish" weapon. Ryukishi07 described it as "a recurring theme to show on the cover a girl and kyoki".
Rena is voiced by Mai Nakahara in Japanese and Mela Lee and Emi Lo in English. Nakahara describes Rena as a diverse character. Rena is portrayed by Airi Matsuyama [ja] in the live-action film series, and by Minami Kato in the TV drama. Matsuyama had worried about her performance, and portrayed her in a more realistic way. Asahi, the illustrator of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Oni, described Rena as the most "kawaii" character overall and praised her charm and realism.

## Appearances

Rena originally appeared as the mascot of 07th Expansion on its homepage and card illustrations, and her name is a variant of Ryukishi07.$^{:10}$ She was officially introduced in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Onikakushi-hen and has appeared in most installments across the series. Her real name is Reina Ryūgū. In Tsumihoroboshi-hen, the player sees the story from Rena's perspective for most of the arc. It is revealed that, due to her mother's affair and consequent pregnancy, she begins to detest her position with her mother and insists on being called "Rena".$^{:7}$ She blames herself for her parents' divorce, becoming mentally unstable and despondent, attacking three of her male classmates with a baseball bat and smashing all the windows in her school. She was then diagnosed with dysautonomia and hospitalized, during which she attempted to slit both her wrists.$^{:6}$ She believed that "Oyashiro-sama" was punishing her for leaving the village by destroying her family and making maggots live in her blood. However, the true reason for the latter actually is that she suffers from Hinamizawa Syndrome, a fictional disease based on schizophrenia and delusional parasitosis. After moving back to Hinamizawa, she develops a fixation on cute things and tries to take things she finds cute home. She also attributed the disappearance of Satoshi Hojo to Oyashiro-sama's curse.$^{:82}$ Her best friend is Keiichi Maebara, and she has a crush on him. Although she is aware that Mion Sonozaki has feelings for Keiichi, she does not change the way she treats him.$^{:6}$ Rena serves as both the protagonist and villain of Tsumihoroboshi-hen, the fourth installment of the original games.
The expanded arcs of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kizuna includes Rena being involved in a series of murder cases investigated by Tomoe Minai. Victims in the case include the boyfriend of Ozaki Nagisa, Rena's childhood friend, who was wounded in Rena's attacks in Ibaraki Prefecture, and Nagisa herself.
In Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou, the sequel to the series, Rena was present for the Three Families announcing that Oyashiro-sama's curse is no more, and entered university as she grown-up. One of the main characters in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei which is set in 2019, Kihiro, is mentioned as Rena's son.
She made a guest appearance in a crossover manga with Ryukishi07's another work, Umineko When They Cry. Rena has also appeared in Trickster Online, Super Heroine Chronicle, Last Period, SINoALICE, Ao Oni Online, Elemental Story [ja], and PUBG Mobile as part of a collaboration event. She also appeared in the official illustrations of Grisaia: Phantom Trigger the Animation Stargazer and A Couple of Cuckoos.

## Reception and legacy

Rena was selected in the best 4 in the 2007 Anime Saimoe Tournament. In a 2013 poll by BIGLOBE, Rena was ranked as the 5th most popular "yandere" character. In a 2015 poll held by Kaga Create, Rena was voted the most popular Higurashi When They Cry character with 2,973 votes. To celebrate this result, PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 3 released the Rena Ryūgū theme. According to a survey in August 2015, Rena was considered one of the most typical "menhera" anime and manga characters. In a Netorabo poll, Rena was the most popular Higurashi When They Cry character in 2020, polling 19.6%. In its 2021 poll, Rena was the second-most frightening Higurashi When They Cry character, polling 22.5%, and the second-most character on the classmate list. At the same year, Rena was voted the fan-favorite character amongst the Higurashi When They Cry cast with 5,515 votes in a MyAnimeList poll. Numerous figures of Rena have been created. Other merchandise, including acrylic stands and watches, have been modeled after Rena, including cushion replicas of her cleaver.
She has been well-received by critics. APGNation's Nicole Seraphita praised the character development of Rena Ryūgū as "perhaps the best of the lot", pointing out she comes across as a rather generic girl-next-door type at first, but she evolves into something far more interesting as more of her background is revealed. Marcus Estrada from Hardcore Gamer praised Rena's role characterization in Tsumihoroboshi-hen that "Rena is a much stronger, deeper character than anyone may have expected". Hinamizawa Shūichi of Netorabo described Rena as synonymous with the psychological horror part of the series, and praised the horror and contrast of the scenes involving her. Jenni Lada for Siliconera also pointed out that the shift of Rena is especially evocative due to she was set up as the "cutest" character at the beginning of the story. Sarah Fimm from The Mary Sue said Rena is "especially scary", and called her the "demonic little sister". The Capsule Computers reviewer Luke Halliday praised Rena's Japanese voice actor Mai Nakahara for "doing a great job with the character", though he thought Rena's character molding is slightly stereotypical. Theron Martin of Anime News Network praised Rena's English voice actor Mela Lee for performing sufficiently close to the original. Rebecca Silverman from the same website criticized Rena's role in the When They Cry: Rei episode "Hirukowashi-hen" for she was used to make an "uncomfortable" lesbian joke, and the THEM Anime Reviews thought this episode shows that Rena is "perhaps the least feminist of the girls". Anime Feminist writer Lilith Miao stated that Rena was the first character with "multiple personalities" that she got invested in, but she criticized the inaccurate portrayal of Rena's split personality in the plot.
Rena's iconic line, "Uso Da!" (嘘だ!, lit. 'That's a lie!'), first appears in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Onikakushi-hen as a sudden charged response to what appears to be a minor lie from Keiichi. The scene is regarded as the moment the series tone shifts towards psychological horror. Episode 3 of Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou reproduced this scene. The phrase went on to be featured in official merchandise, such as a nendoroid figure of Rena Ryūgū with interchangeable "Uso Da" face, a mug, a theme hoodie, and LINE stickers.
In 2007, the 12th episode of When They Cry: Kai was temporarily removed from broadcasting because Rena bore similarities to a real-life murder in Kyoto, where a female minor killed her father with an axe as he slept. During the Osaka city mayor election in 2014, the candidate Shigeo Ninomiya cited Rena's word on Twitter to express his enthusiasm for the election. In 2017, the Ogawa Junior High School in Nakagawa, Tochigi found 12 glass doors were broken and the word "Higurashi" written in red spray paint across the windows in the staff room, which was thought to be a reference to Rena Ryūgū.

## Footnotes

Notes
* ↑ A pun of "dangerous weapon" (凶器, kyoki) and "insanity" (狂気, kyoki).
References
* 1 2 3 "Higurashi: When They Cry-Gou English Dub Cast Revealed". Funimation. November 4, 2020. Archived from the original on November 5, 2020. Retrieved November 4, 2020.
* 1 2 "NGT48「ひぐらし」配役決定、レナは加藤美南". Natalie (in Japanese). February 28, 2016.
* 1 2 "『ひぐらしのなく頃に誓』公開! レナ役・松山愛里の「足の指の間に入って来た」モノは?". Oricon News (in Japanese). April 18, 2009.
* ↑ Quinton O'Connor (January 25, 2023). "Neptunia: Sisters VS Sisters - How To Unlock Higurashi And Shanghai Alice". TheGamer.
* 1 2 "美少女率高し！ 「一番メンヘラ」だと思うアニメ・漫画キャラ「ひぐらしのレナ」「未来日記の我妻由乃」". Livedoor (in Japanese). August 26, 2015.
* 1 2 Audrey Di Martino (May 3, 2023). "Higurashi, subversion of moe, and the birth of the modern yandere". Anime Feminist.
* 1 2 Rebecca Silverman (December 3, 2011). "Higurashi: When They Cry GN 15 - Review". Anime News Network.
* ↑ "『ひぐらしのなかせ方』第三回". Toratsu (in Japanese). September 2005.
* ↑ ひぐらしのなく頃に祭公式コンペリートガイド (in Japanese). Kadokawa Shoten. June 1, 2007. p. 106. ISBN 978-4-04-707237-4.
* 1 2 3 "『ひぐらしのなかせ方』第一回". Toratsu (in Japanese). November 2004.
* ↑ Chase Wilkinson (October 20, 2021). "Higurashi: The Horror Anime's 5 Spookiest Moments So Far". Comic Book Resources.
* 1 2 3 ひぐらしのなく頃にビジュアルファンブック (in Japanese). Ichijinsha. June 24, 2005. ISBN 4-7580-1034-X.
* ↑ Kara Dennison (July 2, 2021). "Higurashi Fans Can Now Hug a Cushion Version of Rena's Cleaver". Crunchyroll.
* ↑ ひぐらしのなく頃に 名場面捜査ファイル100 (in Japanese). Takarajimasha. April 2007. p. 97. ISBN 978-4796665728.
* ↑ Travis Bruno (February 25, 2011). "Interview with Mela Lee – Voice Actress". Capsule Computers.
* ↑ "アプリ『ひぐらしのなく頃に 命』初の生放送が配信決定。中原麻衣、相良茉優、高橋李依が出演". Dengeki Online (in Japanese). February 6, 2021.
* ↑ "夏アニメ『ひぐらしのなく頃に 卒』竜宮レナ役・中原麻衣さんインタビュー「ただのキャラクターではなく、一人の人間としての多様性を感じるようになってきました」【連載第6回】". Animate Times (in Japanese). July 1, 2021.
* ↑ ひぐらしのなく頃に徹底解析ＢＯＯＫ (in Japanese). Kodansha. April 1, 2008. p. 28. ISBN 978-4-06-214562-6.
* ↑ "竜騎士07のノベルゲーム『ひぐらしのなく頃に』が20年愛される理由。漫画家・旭が語る作品の魅力". Real Sound (in Japanese). December 22, 2022.
* 1 2 3 Yukie Ishikawa (December 8, 2006). ひぐらしのなく頃に 公式キャラクター&アナライズブック (in Japanese). Jive. ISBN 4-86176-339-8.
* ↑ Brittanie Maldonado (September 14, 2021). "Higurashi: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Hinamizawa Syndrome". Comic Book Resources.
* ↑ Jamie S. Rich (June 5, 2007). "When They Cry, Vol. 1 Review". DVD Talk. Archived from the original on December 22, 2013.
* ↑ "DS『ひぐらしのなく頃に絆 第三巻・螺』、「解々し編」のシナリオを紹介". news.mynavi.jp (in Japanese). May 15, 2009.
* ↑ "DS『ひぐらしのなく頃に絆 第四巻・絆』、新シナリオの概要と限定版特典". news.mynavi.jp (in Japanese). December 4, 2009.
* ↑ "NDS《寒蝉鸣泣之时 绊：第三卷螺》评测". Gamersky (in Chinese (China)). June 1, 2009.
* ↑ Adriano Valente (February 10, 2021). "Higurashi Flashes Forward To Reveal Rika's Surprisingly Bright Future". Comic Book Resources.
* ↑ Adriano Valente (February 26, 2021). "Higurashi: Satoko's Prank Gone Wrong Sets up a FATAL Misunderstanding". Comic Book Resources.
* ↑ Lynzee Loveridge (February 23, 2021). "[Review] Higurashi: When They Cry – GOU ‒ Episode 20". Anime News Network.
* ↑ "「令和の雛見沢村で新たな惨劇が…「ひぐらしのなく頃に令 鬼熾し編」「星渡し編」1巻". Natalie (in Japanese). June 10, 2022.
* ↑ Shanna Rie (May 1, 2021). "10 Ways Higurashi Is Different In The Manga". Comic Book Resources.
* ↑ "「トリックスター」，「ひぐらし」コラボ第4弾はボイスペット「竜宮レナ」". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). December 13, 2011.
* ↑ "竜宮レナやでじこなどスーパーヒロイン大集結の『超ヒロイン戦記』から戦闘カットを紹介！". Dengeki Online (in Japanese). May 31, 2013.
* ↑ "「ラストピリオド」第3話に「ひぐらしのなく頃に」キャラ登場 ゲーム版に続いてコラボ実現". eiga.com (in Japanese). April 23, 2018.
* ↑ "『シノアリス』×『ひぐらし』ログインだけで圭一や魔晶石1,777個が手に入る". Dengeki Online (in Japanese). August 26, 2020.
* ↑ "『青鬼』×『ひぐらし』コラボはいつから？ 本日20時から特番も！". Dengeki Online (in Japanese). February 25, 2021.
* ↑ "共闘対戦 爽快パズル消しゲー『エレメンタルストーリー』が、『ひぐらしのなく頃に』とのコラボイベントを開催！クリスタル300個&★5竜宮レナもらえる！". PR Times (in Japanese). April 16, 2021.
* ↑ "「PUBG MOBILE」×「ひぐらしのなく頃に 卒」コラボが開催". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). September 30, 2021.
* ↑ "グリザイアPT×ひぐらしのなく頃に、渡辺明夫の描き下ろしでトーカとレナが衣装交換". Natalie (in Japanese). November 27, 2020.
* ↑ "「カッコウの許嫁」と「ひぐらしのなく頃に」がコラボ、エリカとレナが衣装を"取り違え"". Natalie (in Japanese). November 24, 2021.
* ↑ Michael Betar IV (February 15, 2024). "Can Ryukishi07's "Sound Novels" be considered Games?". Gamasutra.
* ↑ "アニメ最萌トーナメント2007、本日から準決勝開始". GIGAZINE (in Japanese). October 31, 2007.
* ↑ Rush, Amanda (June 18, 2013). "Japanese Poll Ranks Best Yandere Girls". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on January 27, 2020. Retrieved February 4, 2021.
* ↑ "「ひぐらしのなく頃に粋」人気投票の結果と，優勝者のPS Vita用テーマが公開". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). March 31, 2015.
* ↑ "『ひぐらしのなく頃に粋』 ひぐらし総選挙優勝者"竜宮レナ"のテーマが無料配信開始！". Famitsu (in Japanese). April 17, 2015.
* ↑ "【投票結果】「ひぐらしのなく頃に」登場キャラクターで最も人気なのは……？ 竜宮レナが第1位をお持ち帰り！". Netorabo (in Japanese). November 24, 2020.
* ↑ "【ひぐらしのなく頃に】シリーズで一番怖いキャラクターランキングTOP34！ 第1位は「園崎詩音」に決定！【2021年投票結果】". Netorabo (in Japanese). September 27, 2021.
* ↑ "「ひぐらしのなく頃に」クラスメイトになりたいキャラクターランキングTOP18！ 第1位は「園崎魅音」！【2021年投票結果】". Netorabo (in Japanese). August 12, 2021.
* ↑ Jose Arroyo (January 11, 2021). "Higurashi: 10 Fan Favorite Characters, According To MyAnimeList". Comic Book Resources.
* ↑ "印象的なおもちかえり顔や半狂乱の発症顔などが付属！『ひぐらしのなく頃に 業』竜宮レナがねんどろいどシリーズからフィギュア化！". Dengeki Hobby Web (in Japanese). October 22, 2020.
* ↑ "『ひぐらしのなく頃に 業』竜宮レナのフィギュアを1名様にプレゼント！鉈を手に笑顔で振り返る姿を再現!!（Twitterプレゼント企画）". Dengeki Hobby Web (in Japanese). November 19, 2020.
* ↑ "『ひぐらしのなく頃に卒』BD＆DVD限定版は猫耳レナのフィギュア付き！". Dengeki Online (in Japanese). June 22, 2021.
* ↑ "「ひぐらしのなく頃に業」から竜宮レナと古手梨花をイメージした腕時計やバッグなどのアイテムが登場". 4Gamer.net (in Japanese). July 6, 2021.
* ↑ "『ひぐらしのなく頃に 卒』印象的なセリフと表情が楽しめる、竜宮レナ・古手梨花それぞれの「セリフアクリルスタンド」が二次元コスパから登場！【株式会社コスパ】". PR Times (in Japanese). July 1, 2024.
* ↑ "『ひぐらしのなく頃に』竜宮レナの"鉈"がクッションになって登場。抱き枕にぴったりのサイズ感【かぁいい】". Famitsu (in Japanese). July 4, 2024.
* ↑ Nicole Seraphita (May 29, 2015), "Higurashi Onikakushi Review", APGNation, archived from the original on June 9, 2015
* ↑ Marcus Estrada (July 3, 2018). "Review: Higurashi When They Cry Hou - Ch.6 Tsumihoroboshi". Hardcore Gamer.
* ↑ Hinamizawa Shūichi (March 1, 2007). "惨劇は進化する――舞台をPS2に変えた"正解率1％の謎"の魅力". Netorabo (in Japanese).
* ↑ Jenni Lada (July 22, 2023). "Higurashi When They Cry: Gou Manga Doesn't Hold Back". Siliconera.
* ↑ Sarah Fimm (October 29, 2022). "The Best Demon Girl Anime, Ranked". The Mary Sue.
* ↑ Luke Halliday (July 9, 2011). "When They Cry Part 2 Review". Capsule Computers.
* ↑ Theron Martin (June 23, 2007). "When They Cry DVD 1 - Review". Anime News Network.
* ↑ Rebecca Silverman (August 7, 2016). "When They Cry: Rei Blu-Ray - Review". Anime News Network.
* ↑ "When They Cry - Higurashi 3 (Rei)". THEM Anime Reviews.
* ↑ Lilith Miao (March 6, 2020). "I Am One Yet Many: Plurality representation in the When They Cry Series". Anime Feminist.
* ↑ "嘘だッ！『ひぐらしのなく頃に』竜宮レナに恐怖を感じた"トラウマ台詞"といえば…". Excite Japan (in Japanese). May 3, 2021.
* ↑ "【保志総一朗・中原麻衣・竜騎士07出演】「ひぐらしのなく頃に」第1話～第3話振り返り特番「ひぐらしのなく頃に業」はオープニングとエンディングに大きなヒントが隠されている！？". PR Times (in Japanese). October 22, 2022.
* ↑ "アニメ『ひぐらしのなく頃に 業』より、ヒロイン「竜宮レナ」がねんどろいど化！「嘘だっ！！顔」をはじめとした、さまざまな表情パーツとオプションで多彩なシーン表現が可能！【今なら18％OFF！】". Animate Times (in Japanese). December 11, 2020.
* ↑ "お湯を注ぐと様子が豹変。「ひぐらしのなく頃に 業」より竜宮レナの「嘘だッ！！」を再現したマグカップが登場". Game Watch (in Japanese). March 15, 2021.
* ↑ "『ひぐらしのなく頃に 卒』レナの「嘘だッ！！！ ジップパーカー」、梨花ちゃまの「にぱー☆ ジップパーカー」が登場！『07th 大宴会』先行販売！【株式会社コスパ】". PR Times (in Japanese). October 4, 2022.
* ↑ "「嘘だッ!!!」もある『ひぐらしのなく頃に業』LINEスタンプが登場". Dengeki Online (in Japanese). November 30, 2020.
* ↑ Lynzee Loveridge (April 29, 2018). "7 TV Anime Affected by Japanese Censorship". Anime News Network.
* ↑ "自作ゲームの公開や『ひぐらしのなく頃に』竜宮レナの言葉の引用ツイートも 大阪市長選立候補の二野宮茂雄さん". getnews.jp (in Japanese). March 10, 2014.
* ↑ Lynzee Loveridge (August 3, 2017). "'Higurashi' Written on Windows of Vandalized Middle School in Tochigi". Anime News Network.