Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry)

Don’t let the cutesy cover pic fool you, this show is brutal. That’s probably why they had to go with cutesy cover art. It’s not the most brutal show I’ve ever seen or anything but the killing is definitely hardcore. The show looks like it’ll be a moe show but it’s not, trust me.

The show is about a little town that seems to be where several murders have happened, brutal murders. You go on a ride for 6 different arcs but they go in reverse. When you realize it, the first arc may actually be the last arc. Some of it isn’t totally clear in some arcs but as you go through the episodes, you get more and more clues which fills in holes.

The main characters are a bunch of school aged kids with different circumstances surrounding each of them. Keiichi who is a newcomer to the town, befriends the girls, he ends up playing a big part in most of the arcs, he’s the glue for the show. Every arc runs through Keiichi in some way. Each of the girls comes with some odd background story which links them to the main part but until you get through all the arcs you’ll be missing the direct linkage.

While the main characters have the cutesy moe look, the rest of the cast look “normal”. You have the big saucer eyes and all that on the kids but the adults in the show don’t have that same look. Their eyes are so dead looking, like doll eyes, it’s kind of creepy actually but I guess it’s fitting when you watch the show and see how hardcore some of it is.

This type of show is right in my wheelhouse but the cutesy part kind of threw me off. Not going to say it’s a bad show but I could live without the cutesy moe stuff. This show does deliver some mystery, brutality and all that but those big saucer eyes and the two younger girls… while it’s not perfect I did keep watching so I’m giving it a 3.7 star rating. Being kids, it makes it kind of awkward but it’s a decent ride. I also watched the sequel and one of the OVAs, still have a few more to get to from Higurashi.

[yasr_overall_rating]

9 comments

  1. One of my favorite anime of all time. So confusing at first! If I remember correctly the second season is more mystery than horror, which suits the revelations that come and leads to a satisfying ending.

    1. The second is more mystery. Awkward with the going backwards. Confused me at first too but you get used to it after the first reset.

      Just realized I didn’t post the review on the second one.

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