Alternative Titles
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 2; Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 2nd Series; Higurashi no Nakukoro ni 2nd Season; The Moment the Cicadas Cry 2; When they Cry 2
Information
Type: TV
Episodes: 24
Status: Finished Airing
Aired: Jul 5, 2007 to Dec 15, 2007
Duration:
24 min. per episode Rating:
R - 17+ (violence & profanity)
L represents licensing company
StatisticsScore: 8.691 (scored by 7018 users)
Ranked: #232
Popularity: #80
Members: 12,249
Favorites: 609 1 indicates a weighted score
My Info
Popular Tags
drama horror loli mystery psychological |
SynopsisContinuing from the first series, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai begins to shed some light on the dark mysteries prevalent in the preceding season. The young group of friends in the town of Hinamizawa continue to enter terrible conflicts with one another in their never ending summer of 1983, often ending with the brutal murder of one of their numbers. Furude Rika, with the help of her spiritual friend Hanyuu, tackles challenges over and over, trying her best to keep their lives from coming to a tragic end. With no end to the torture in sight, Rika must call upon the bonds of friendship and trust among her friends to discover the true villain of this eternal June.
[Written by MAL Rewrite] |
Related AnimePrequel: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Side story: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Special: Nekogoroshi-Hen
Sequel: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei,
Characters & Voice Actors
Staff
Recommendations
|
|
Nekogoroshi-Hen is a DVD only chapter (even though it's only one episode) which is part of the Higurashi franchise.
It's the second season to the original series.
|
|
|
watch this before u start the 3rd sequel
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai is the 2nd season
|
Reviews
| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Animation |
8 |
| Sound |
9 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
|
Jan 3, 200824 of 24 episodes seen 77 of 91 people found this review helpful I will say this now, if you have not seen the anime called Higurashi no Naku koro ni, then this review will be as useful as the dust that lies under your bed.
With that said, most of what I have to say about Kai will be a rehash of what I said in my season 1 review; therefore, I will not be giving a detailed review. Instead, I will say what I thought were the stronger aspects in Kai compared to that of the first season. No doubt, both seasons of Higurashi were won...derful and one cannot exist without the other. Because of this, it is not exactly fair for me to use the same criteria I use with a stand alone season series or a stand alone anime. Thus, I rate and review Kai based on what was different, whether it be an improvement or not, from season 1.
Story: As said earlier, Kai is a direct continuation of where season 1 left off. Kai shows the last two answer arcs of Higurashi plus an anime-exclusive arc to fill up the holes to answers that were missing from season 1. Every mystery or question posed in the first season is answered nicely. The way everything falls together is very well thought out. The solutions provided to the mystery leaves very little things unanswered.
Art/Animation: Vast improvement in the art department from the last seasons. Animation, however, while it is much better, can still be inconsistent. Well, Higurashi was never known for its animation, and it does its job fine without KyotoAni, Bones, or Madhouse quality animation.
Sound: One aspect of Kai that was the same as the first season. The first season had an OP that matched very well with its atmosphere and mood. Kai was no different. Instead of the creepy, unsettling feeling, Kai uses an OP the shows the drama and desperation of Rika's struggle. The voice acting is still superb, and besides the major theme that is used in Kai and some new tracks, the music remains the same.
Characters: I found the character development to be better and given more time in Kai. While the first season introduced and partially developed the characters, they are fully fleshed out in Kai, especially Rika. Even the characters that you think played minor roles in the first season, Akasaka, Tomitake, Takano, Irie, and Ooishi, gets a good deal of development.
Enjoyment: While I had a lot more fun brainstorming theories and (sometimes, not always) being confused, I enjoyed Kai for other reasons. Firstly, I loved Minagoroshi-hen. While some people might enjoy watching psychotic girls beat the hell out of a certain, horrible uncle (I mean, who does not?), I had just as much fun watching Keiichi give his epic speeches. After all, Keiichi is called the Magician of Words for a reason. I also enjoyed watching as everything unfolded.
Overall:This would average out to a 9.4. I did think there was improvement of pacing, being a lot more consistent, quality wise, than season 1, and the awesome ending. The pacing in season 1 felt rushed at some parts and caused certain facts to be left out. Thankfully, most of that was rectified in Kai. So yes, in some ways, I did think Kai was superior to the first season. The first season did really well in setting up the mystery and atmosphere. While Kai's atmosphere may seem too different from that of season 1, it is actually a lot closer to its original source. Of course, I will not be going into this, but overall, the way the story unfolds is wonderful, especially if some of your theories turns out to be correct. Final verdict: 10/10 read more
|
| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
10 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
|
Nov 18, 200824 of 24 episodes seen 5 of 6 people found this review helpful If you have not watched the first season (Higurashi no naku koro ni), this anime is practically useless and the same goes for this review.
Wow! Higurashi no naku koro ni Kai was a great addition to an already very good season one. As I found season one rather interesting and enjoyable, Kai was a must watch for me, in the hope that it would be just as great. With many questions left unanswered, Kai primarily focuses on answering questions and revealing to us the "true" tr...uth. There are a lot less gore and horror elements compared to the first season, as Rika becomes the main point of view. The introduction of a new character called Hanyuu was certainly an interesting add into the plot. Her introduction into the story was done smoothly but it is likely that you'll ask "Where on earth did she come from?" at first.
As Kai is a continuation of the first series, the chain of mysterious deaths continues on from Rika's point of view. The first episode of this season kinda acts as a recap and a look into at the aftermath of season one's last arc. It then moves into another arc, raising some questions but answering many, and by the end of the first arc, I'd say it's almost impossible to not continue watching the rest of Kai. The other two arcs finally give us answers to those questions that remained. The telling of a certain character's past in the beginning of the the third arc really unraveled the mystery and told us the cause and effect. It's what makes Higurashi a great story, how the answers are not force fed to you, but instead rather open for interpretation; whether the judgments the characters make are truly right or wrong. How some of the little things can make huge differences, and change the outcome of the future.
A stellar performance by Tamura Yukari playing Furude Rika! The voice acting by her was just amazing (I just love Rika's scream in episode 8!) and should be highly commended, along with all the other seiyuus! Rena's voice is more consistent this time, and Horie Yui's performance of Hanyuu was cute! I have absolutely no objections to the wonderful musical score by Kawaii Kenji, along with another great opening theme by Shimamiya Eiko, and the closing theme which all were very fitting in both lyrics and music. HUGE improvement in the animation! The faces and characters are not as exaggerated or contorted as the first season. It is much more consistent, detailed and kinda makes the characters a little more prettier...
I do believe that the introduction of Hanyuu was certainly necessary, although whether she had to be that "moe" is a little questionable to me. There were large developments in some of the supporting characters such as Akasaka, Dr. Irie, Takano, Tomitake and Satoshi which were vital to the storyline. The only thing is, the concentration on the development of these characters kinda left the mains Rena, Mion and Shion out for a while...
Higurashi just had to go to my favourites list! To me it was such a great story with amazing music and voice acting and very interesting and complex character personalities and relationships, with touches of humour here and there. Although the ending is a little lame, well for me at least, it still deserves an overall 10 out of 10. Definitely enjoyable and an interesting ending scene. I'd certainly recommend this to anyone, and can't wait for Higurashi no naku koro ni Rei and Umineko no naku koro ni in the hopes that the creators can continue to make such amazing stories! read more
|
| Overall |
10 |
| Story |
9 |
| Animation |
9 |
| Sound |
10 |
| Character |
10 |
| Enjoyment |
10 |
|
Dec 17, 200724 of 24 episodes seen 39 of 49 people found this review helpful Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai solves the mystery that haunted the first season quite well. Every aspect of the show was top notch, especially the art, which was improved majorly upon the QUALITY of season one.
Kai's story is basically the gang (Mion, Shion, Keiichi, Rena, Rika, Hanyuu, Satoko) trying to fight back against the obstacles season one had laid upon for them. You shouldn't be watching this if you do not know who the people I mentioned in parenthesis, with the exception... of Hanyuu, so I shouldn't need to explain who they are. Anything more indepth and I'll ruin the whole show for you. The story was great, dead on, but there were a couple things that weren't cleared up unless you paid attention to every small detail presented. 9/10
The animation was top notch, except for a couple scenes where it seems they were just thrown together. Character faces were HUGELY improved over the first season. They no longer have that skinny look to there body as well, it's all proportional (Debatable). Character designs were kept from the first season, but like I previously stated, detailed extremely more which is easier on the eyes. For the most part, the animation was fluid. 9/10
The music of Higurashi Kai was great. There are a few notable tunes that are memorable (The name escapes me right now, but it's heard often in both seasons, it's a dark song with only a female vocalist humming "ha" in different pitches and notes, you'll know it when you hear it), and the opening and ending theme songs are well done. Voice acting was top-notch, I had no complaints, people who needed to be moe sounded moe, those who needed to be badass sounded badass and so forth. The cicada's are also present in the series (Note: the literal english translation of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is 'When the Cicada's Cry'), which as always gives a sense of outdoors to the viewer. 10/10
Characters where minorly explained already, but lets just say the people who seemed useless turned out to be zomg awesome. Hanyuu needs no explanation, as it is explained early in the series. Just remember she's moe beyond belief.
The enjoyment of this series was absolutely outstanding. Seeing the gang in action working together after the first season is just awesome. Some might view the whole thing as crap compared to the first season, but thats because they probably need blood or an explosion every 10 seconds to keep them occupied instead of a good story. Easily 10/10, a lot of memorable moments *cough*Akasaka*cough*
Overall the series can't be reviewed easily as just the slightest explanation may ruin the whole series for you. I suggest you watch it AFTER the first season obviously and avoid Higurashi topics like the plague until you have finished it. It simply ties everything together beautifully. 10/10, but more like a 9.7. read more
|
Opening Theme"Naraku no Hana (奈落の花)" by Eiko Shimamiya
Ending Theme"Taishō.a (対象.a)" by anNina
Recent Forum Discussion
Fansubbing Groups
Which fansubbers do you like the best? Click + to approve of their subs for this show. Click - if you don't think they did such a great job.
Related ClubsPsycho Characters., Hisuckashi Club, Swedes of MAL, Keiichi Maebara Fanclub., The Cult of Oyashiro-Sama, HIGURASHI IS OVERRATED!!, Claim A Psycho., Tamura Yukari Fans Unite!, Say what?, Claim an Anime Studio Club! , animeshon, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei, Nakahara Mai Fanclub, Higurashi Live Action, Visual Novels, Second String/Supporting Males, Claim A Killer Club, Teppei Love, The Green Haired Characters Club, Tina-chan Land!! :DThe CPA, Kawaii Anime Girls!, ***A Tribute To The Quiet Types***, seinen & josei, SKYclub ~ SKY Animes, Psycho Girls of Higurashi, Purple Eyes Fanclub, Insane Anime People, Cute Anime Club, B-A 0Taku-ForC3, ☆→Aηเмε Hσттz←☆, The Yandere and Yangire Fanclub, Higurashi Daybreak, Cute Anime Girl Club, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Ara ara, Satsuki Yukino Fanclub., The Ultimate Claim Club (The UCC V2), Ponytail Characters Club, Akasaka-san Fanclub!, Claim a Loli Club, Shrine Maiden Club, Lycee, ~Slit Cat-like Eyes Club~, Anime and More!, The Oryo Sonozaki Fanclub!, MAL's Claim an Anime Song Club, Split Personality Fan Club, School Uniform Party Club!!, PETJA, Viva Ni Pah! The Rika Furude Fan Club, Anime Türkiye, Gingers of anime, MAL Seiyuu Wars!!, The Exclusively Private Anime Club, Claim an anime siblings, The Hanyuu Fanclub, The Always Hungry Characters Club, Miyo Takano Fanclub., Why that is Amaya Kiro-san!, The BADASSED Club, THE OOISHI FANCLUB, ANIME PIMPS, ~~Claim your anime best friends gang~~, Kionniko's Stuff, PSP - Playstation Portable Club, The Yukie Akasaka Fanclub!, Satoko Fanclub., Sonozaki Sisters Fan Club, Horror Anime Fanclub, d2jsp, The Lambadelta and Frederica Bernkastel Fanclub, Shion Sonozaki Fanclub, Mion Sonozaki Fanclub., Horie Yui Fanclub, The Satoshi Houjou Fanclub!, #*~The Blue Haired Anime Characters Club ~*#, Mindfuck-Anime-Club, Satoshi x Keiichi, The Hinamizawa Syndrome Ward!, Creepy Anime/Manga Club, Dark Anime Club, Hurt & Heal, The Kyosuke Irie Fanclub!, The Twin Factor, The Rumiko Chie Fanclub!, Faithful Characters Fanclub, phyke, Kemonomimi Shoujo, Yumiko's Gang, ~Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Fan Center~, Blue Haired Anime Characters Fanclub!, Forum Avatars and Icons!, Random Anime & Manga Club, Shinto, Scary Girls Club, ~Cookie-chan Fans~, MAL's Group Fanfiction Library, most of the anime, Visual Novel Petition Club, Rena and Keiichi Team Fanclub!, Rena Ryuugu Fanclub, Blood Stained Fangs, Watch Anime Together Club Headquarters, hardcore violence and gore, Omochikaeri~ Fan Club, Anti Dam movement, The Akane Sonozaki Fanclub!, AMV Makers Society, Bad....ass....ANIME CHARACTERS!, The Beret Fanclub!!, The Tatsuyoshi Kasai Fanclub!, Polish Anime and Manga club, The Jiro Tomitake Fanclub!, Unraveled Mysteries, Doujin fan club, Furude FanClub, The Blondies of Anime, Nokturno Genesis, Claim a God/Goddess, The Kiichirō Kimiyoshi Fanclub!, Guns & Gore club, Littlebravey AMV Fanclub, Get Your Quota! For MAL Claims Clubs, Higurashi no naku koro ni KAI see all
Recently Watched By|
37 seconds ago |
9 minutes ago |
36 minutes ago |
38 minutes ago |
42 minutes ago | |
50 minutes ago |
1 hour ago |
1 hour ago |
1 hour ago |
1 hour ago |
|
|
