"When the Cicadas Cry"), known simply as When They Cry for the North American release of the anime adaptation before 2020, is a Japanese murder mystery dōjin soft visual novel series produced by 07th Expansion that comprises the first two entries of the When They Cry franchise.
A new anime television series by Passione aired from October 2020 to March 2021, and a sequel aired from July to September 2021. Higurashi When They Cry is a "sound novel", a variation of visual novel with a focus on sound and atmosphere.
CharactersHigurashi Kai is essentially more character than event focused than the first season; unlike the first, Rika has a sizably larger role, and you follow her through the series almost through all of the arcs.
When the Cicadas Cry: Solution), aired in Japan between July 6 and December 17, 2007, containing twenty-four episodes. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the second anime series.
1. Release OrderWhen They Cry (2006)When They Cry: Kai (2007)When They Cry: Rei (2009)Umineko: When They Cry (2009)Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou (2020) (ongoing)
24 episodesThe second season is titled When They Cry: Kai (ひぐらしのなく頃に解, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, lit. When The Cicadas Cry: Solution). It was produced by the same team and contains 24 episodes.
solutionKai (解) means solution, and the anime will consist of the last two solution arcs "Minagoroshi-hen (Massacre Chapter)" and "Matsuribayashi-hen (Festival Accompanying Chapter)".
The final is an alternate ending/fragment, where Takano's parents don't die as a result of the "miracle" born from the combinated wills of Rika and her friends. In the original ending, the miracle occurs instead when Takano shoots at Hanyuu in the mountain forest and misses her shot.
A new anime television series by Passione aired from October 2020 to March 2021, and a sequel aired from July to September 2021.
Currently you are able to watch "Higurashi: When They Cry - Season 2" streaming on HiDive, Hulu, Funimation Now or buy it as download on Amazon Video.
What is the true ending of this anime and manga, does everyone survive in the true ending? Well, the original ending is Matsuribayashi-hen in which, yes, everyone survives. But if you wanted to, you could think of Miotsukushi-hen as the true ending instead. Or the alternate version of Miotsukushi-hen.
Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni (“When the Cicadas Cry”) is one of the best horror anime of all time. Instead of cheap jump scares, Higurashi inspires terror in its brilliant plot and abrupt shifts in tone and characters. The story follows Keiichi, a young boy who moves to the remote town of Hinamizawa.
Release OrderWhen They Cry (2006)The end of the world has been foretold since ancient times.Rei (2009)Umineko When They Cry (2009)Higurashi When They Cry – Gou (2020) -> (ongoing)
Takano Miyo (鷹野 三四), born Tanashi Miyoko (田無 美代子), is the main villainess/antagonist in the original Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai.
In Higurashi Gou, it is said that the crack in Hanyuu's horn is the reason for Rika's incomplete memories. Hanyuu later bestows Rika with the full extent of her powers before disappearing, allowing Rika to fully remember events preceding her death.
Rika has not survived in any arc prior to Matsuribayashi-hen and Miotsukushi-hen. While it is never shown in the series, Rika confirms in Minagoroshi-hen that even she has succumbed to Hinamizawa Syndrome and gone mad in some worlds, though she was then overpowered and killed.
The young group of friends in the town of Hinamizawa continue to have terrible conflicts with one another in their never ending summer of 1983, often ending with the brutal murder of one of their members.
In series one we saw the same few weeks in 1983 in the village of Hinamizawa playing out like a twisted 'Groundhog Day'... each time ending in paranoia, insanity and murder. We are told that there is a curse that caused the deaths but we don't know why time is repeating or the cause of the curse...
By what name was Higurashi no naku koro ni: Kai (2007) officially released in Canada in English?
In the small village of Hinamizawa, Rika Furude and her friends live together in relative harmony. Beneath this mask of peace, however, lies a hidden darkness, one that Rika understands all too well. In this eternal summer, she has been witness to unspeakable horrors.
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It really feels pointless to write a review for 'Ura Higu' but since there's very little information about it here on Anime-Planet I thought I'd just explain what it is. Ura Higu consists of 24 very short extras' (ranging from 25 to about 50 seconds) that have not officially been English subbed; however they are available on the internet.
These dark anime take place in secluded villages seemingly lost to time. Sure they look cosy and hospitable, but they may be concealing something more sinister - whether it's a complex web of lies amongst the townsfolk, a supernatural entity or something horribly unspeakable.
Rika and Hanyuu discuss Rika’s fate, and subsequently the fate of the village, only to conclude that Hanyuu must also desire an end to the cycle. Play When They Cry Kai.
Akasaka and Tomitake call on the Benken combat unit to detain Takano and the Yamainu. Unwilling to give in, Takano flees into the mountains, only to meet Rika and her friends.
The group finally gets Satoko to reveal her abuse and the police step in. As the festival begins, Rika tries to save Tomitake and Takano, only to discover the true culprit.
The Higurashi: When They Cry Kai (ひぐらしのなく頃に解, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, When the Cicadas Cry: Solution ) games form what are known as the answer arcs. The last four games released in the series, were, in contrast to the question arcs, meant to answer all of the questions presented in the first half of the series. These arcs can be considered the "solutions" of the previous arcs. Each answer arc game contains all of the previous answer arcs.
The Higurashi: When They Cry (ひぐらしのなく頃に, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) games form what are referred to as the question arcs . These first four games of the series were meant to give the player a sense of the world where the story takes place and introduce the mysterious circumstances surrounding the village of Hinamizawa. Since there are no concrete answers given to the questions that the story presents in these arcs, the question arcs allow the player to form his or her own opinions about the events taking place in the village. Each question arc game contains all of the previous question arcs.
Karma) and it was revealed that the anime is not actually a direct remake as it was previously marketed to be. The new series ran for 24 episodes. After Gou finished airing, a sequel, entitled Higurashi: When They Cry – Sotsu (ひぐらしのなく頃に卒, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Sotsu, lit.
The film is an adaptation of the first story arc, Onikakushi-hen. Gōki Maeda plays Keiichi, Airi Matsuyama plays Rena, Rin Asuka plays Mion, Aika plays Rika, and Erena Ono plays Satoko. The film was released in 60 theaters and earned over ¥200 million at the box office.
There are eight main titles in the Higurashi manga series, spanning the four question arcs and the four answer arcs. Each question arc manga are compiled into two bound volumes. The first two answer arc manga are compiled into four volumes, meanwhile Minagoroshi-hen is compiled into six volumes, and Matsuribayashi-hen into eight. The manga uses multiple artists between the various arcs. Karin Suzuragi drew Onikakushi-hen, Tsumihoroboshi-hen, and Matsuribayashi-hen, Yutori Hōjō drew Watanagashi-hen and Meakashi-hen, Jirō Suzuki drew Tatarigoroshi-hen, Yoshiki Tonogai drew Himatsubushi-hen, and Hinase Momoyama drew Minagoroshi-hen. Another manga entitled Kokoroiyashi-hen (心癒し編, Heart Healing Chapter) is drawn by Yuna Kagesaki and began in Kadokawa Shoten 's Comp Ace on August 26, 2008. The manga series was licensed by Yen Press for English distribution in North America under the title Higurashi: When They Cry. The manga was initially serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus anthology magazine, the first issue of which went on sale on July 29, 2008. The first English volume of the manga was originally planned to be sold in early 2009, but was released in November 2008.
Except for the first episode that uses "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni" by Shimamiya as its ending theme, the ending themes for Gou are "Kamisama no Syndrome" for episodes 2–17 and "Fukisokusei Entropy" for episodes 18–23 by Ayane .
A mobile phone RPG game titled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Mei (ひぐらしのなく頃に命, When the Cicadas Cry: Life) and planned by D-techno, written by Kiichi Kanō and developed by Smile Axe was released on September 3, 2020. The story stars a new protagonist, Kazuho Kimiyoshi, who visits Hinamizawa in the year 1993.
Keiichi's despair reaches its peak. After being captured and sedated, he wakes up restrained by Mion and Rena, and they attempt to inject him with a mysterious drug. Keiichi murders them before taking his own life by clawing his throat.
Keiichi's mentality is shaken when his friends tells him that he was actually at the Watanagashi Festival with them and Satoko still bemoans her uncle's abuse, despite being sure about having him dead. His confusion grows when he tries to unsuccessfully find the truth.
Keiichi and Rena suspect that Mion might be related to Rika and Satoko's disappearance, and confront her at her house. There, he learns from her about the burden she carries as the heir of the Sonozaki family, and tries to dissuade her to surrender herself without success.
At the Furude Shrine, Keiichi discovers Rika's disemboweled body , and Satoko believes that Keiichi is the culprit and flees. After fruitlessly trying to convince her that he is not the murderer, disaster strikes the town of Hinamizawa.
Four years ago, during the dam incident, young police investigator Mamoru Akasaka comes to Hinamizawa to find leads to a child kidnapping. After hearing an enigmatic warning from a younger Rika, Mamoru becomes suspicious of some of the townsfolk.
After moving into the quiet town of Hinamizawa, Maebara Keiichi spends his days blissfully in school often playing games with his local friends. However, appearances can be deceiving. One fateful day, Keiichi stumbles upon news of a murder that had occurred in Hinamizawa. From this point on, horrific events unfold in front of Keiichi, as he soon learns his close friends may not be all that they seem. Based on the amateur mystery game by 07th Expansion, the story is told in a series of different scenarios.
After losing a bet, Keichi, Mion, Rena, Satoko and Rika parade around the town in costumes. When they come to a fork in the road, they decide to go to Yagouchi, a nearby abandoned village. Once there Keichii and Rena learn the mystery of a strange haunted quarry as they debate whether or not to check it out.
Higurashi: When They Cry (Japanese: ひぐらしのなく頃に, Hepburn: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, lit. "When the Cicadas Cry"), also known simply as When They Cry prior to 2020, is a Japanese murder mystery dōjin soft visual novel series produced by 07th Expansion that comprises the first two entries of the When They Cry franchise. The series focuses on a group of young friends living in the fictional village of Hinamizawa and the strange events that occur there in 1983.
Higurashi: When They Cry is a "sound novel", a variation of visual novel with a focus on sound and atmosphere. Gameplay is restricted to reading individual scenes, during which characters are displayed as static two-dimensional sprites. The versions of the game ported to home consoles additionally feature voice acting provided by professional voice actors. The narrative of the game is divided into separate story arcs, named "chapters", which become accessible in a sequence stric…
Higurashi: When They Cry takes place in the fictional village of Hinamizawa (雛見沢) in June 1983. Shortly before then, the main character, Keiichi Maebara, moves to the village and befriends classmates Mion Sonozaki, her twin sister Shion, Rena Ryūgū, Rika Furude and Satoko Hōjō. Keiichi soon learns of the village's annual Watanagashi Festival, a celebration to commemorate and give thanks to the local deity Oyashiro. Hinamizawa initially seems calm and peaceful, but s…
The series is the first visual novel series produced by 07th Expansion. The game director and scenario writer for the series are Ryukishi07, who also drew all of the character illustrations. Background images were taken from photographs taken by Ryukishi07, his younger brother Yatazakura, and Kameya Mannendō. Programming was worked on by Yatazakura, who worked on the main structure, 4U who worked on the intermission and Tips, and BT who worked on the min…
Several sets of drama CDs based on the series have been released, mainly distributed by Frontier Works and Wayuta. The latter's releases differ from other media adaptations in that they make extensive use of the source material from the original sound novels, and sometimes include original songs from dai's albums. The main eight sound novel arcs have been adapted into a total of eleven CD releases, published by HOBiRECORDS and distributed by Wayuta and Geneon Enter…
Unlike visual novels created by established companies, 07th Expansion did not create the music found in the Higurashi games. The music for the question arcs consists of license free songs found on the Internet while the music for the answer arcs was provided by dōjin music artists that were fans of Higurashi. Later, a CD album called Thanks/you was released by the dōjin music artist, Dai; many of his tracks were used in the answer arcs. Fans initially referred to this album as the …
Over 100,000 copies of the original games were sold in Japan by 2006, a feat not attained by a dōjin game since Type-Moon released Tsukihime. Many fans attribute the game's success to the suspense and horror the novel portrays. Fan-based community boards emerged where fans began discussing their own theories. The popularity of the games grew exponentially as many took interest in their well-outlined script and story, which eventually led the game to be showcased in …
• Official website (in Japanese)
• Higurashi no Naku Koro ni at MangaGamer
• Manga official website (in Japanese)
• Anime official website (in Japanese)