Ranked #354

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei

Sea-bears and Skylines

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Rei [Rei] is the third installment of the Higurashi series based on the games created by 07th Expansion. Like the game, Rei covers the events after Furude Rika had finally escaped the meandering halls of fate, breaking the cycle of repetition.

Rei serves as more of a side story, giving small view into life after reiterating summer. The first and last episodes of the set OVA's are for purely comedic purposes. Nothing really happens and the only insight we get into any of the characters is that Rena finds Keichii's 'sea-bear' cute. Yes folks Higurashi went there... they implied our brunette buxom wanted Maebara's little friend.

The episodes in-between, 2 through 5 or the Dice Killing Chapter, serve as a more serious side story. Rika one day wakes up in yet another world where everything is seemingly perfect. Everyone she sees is spared of their sin's from previous realities, their souls not torn into shards waiting to be duck taped back together.

It's an interesting setup, but it fails in it's execution. The three short episodes lack any sort of engaging drama, and the story is squeezed down your throat in slabs of monologue. I commend the tale for trying to shade in some background on Hanyuu, Rika's goddess companion, but I didn't find myself caring.

Production

Rei is more of the same. The art hasn't improved much from 2006 when the original Higurashi premiered. The animation was cleaned up a bit, and the colors a bit more vivid. It's somewhat disappointing considering this is an OVA.

The sound work is still the same. The seiyuu remain untouched and the music is largely forgettable. The OP didn't really set an ominous tone like the first two shows did. No special effort seems to have been made in the production of Rei.

Watchability and Enjoyment

The two comedic episodes are hilarious. Funny has always been a part of the Higurashi formula, and it was refreshing to watch an episode focusing on Humor.

Rika's side story on the other-hand is about as engaging as wading through a swamp filled to the brim with molasses compared to the first season. Though it made the fifth episode all the more entertaining. After the dull chapter, the comic finale let me leave the realm of Higurashi with a sweet taste on my lips.

Themes

The Dice Killing chapter, through all it's faults, posed an interesting dilemma: Which world would you pick, one you toiled endlessly to create yourself or a perfect one handed to you on a silver platter. The reality you molded from fate is imperfect but yours, you own it. Which do you keep?

Closing Thoughts

Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Rei is a mixed bag. If you enjoy Higurashi's brand of comedy then check out Episodes 1 and 5. I couldn't recommend The Dice Killing Chapter except to the most rabid fans who care to know even the palest of brushstrokes on Hinamizawa's canvas. But if your that crazy your better off getting the sound novels. read more

There are crucial times in our lives when we made the wrong decision and we wish we had acted differently, then, not only us, but perhaps the whole universe would be brought to be different as well.

After finally getting to the end of the "perpetual murders", Rika is riding bicycle with her friends till she gets run over by a truck, which makes Hanyuu transport her to another reality in order to avoid the accident that could result in Rika's death. Yet, this time, in this other world, she cannot find Keiichi, Takano and other characters, while Satoko’s brother and Rika’s parents are still living in Hinamizawa.

Things start to get complicated when the two realities start to overwrite one another and Rika needs to decide which reality she wants to live in: a whitish world or a place stained by blood? The plot is developed in a mystery scenario where everything is bewildering and a vital decision seems inevitable. To some extent, we can say this revives the mood of a visual novel in which every resolution is a conclusive factor for the following narrative.

There isn't enough character development with the exception of Rika, since basically all the OVAs are filled with her internal monologue, or rather her conversation with her other persona, and all the other characters remain essentially the same, even in another reality. Apart from Rika's journey, there isn't much except that kind of special that allows fans to see their favorites characters in comical situations.

The paradigm for the whole story consists of a scenario and its deconstruction. If we examine particular scenes, we will see that there is a considerable variety of them and, moreover, that there are scenarios within scenarios, plots overlapping other plots, stories of small importance as well as large, stories with staying power and narratives that quickly pass, leaving their values and resources to be reevaluated by the following storyline.

First, we are in a humorous plot, then in a disturbing one; to close the cycle, we are presented with another comical plot in the last OVA. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei is not about a story of endless murders anymore, rather is about a everlasting cycle of happy and sad moments which we all know very well since it is what life is all about.

As the title suggests (rei=礼=gratitude), while respecting the past, as Rika learned to respect her mother, one must also “kill” his past in order to live the present. Likewise, there’s always an exciting promise that makes us look forward to the future, yet we must never forget to appreciate the here and now. Change is not the aftereffect of exclusively abstract forces, but of real people’s actions in response to their daily lives.

A release from the well-known Studio DEEN, it doesn't stray far from the company’s habitual animated presentation in the previous seasons. Bathed in violent touches, adorable infantile behavior, and a strict adherence to perturbing character development, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei is quite comfortable playing to Toshifumi Kawase’s strengths as a experienced director and screenwriter of fantasy and thriller plots.

The background music is virtually the same of the previous seasons ranging from extremely happy to downhearted. Tamura Yukari once again does a good job as Rika, varying from “Nipa!” to a rather scary voice. Nakahara Mai (Rena) just shows to us this time the “I want to take it home” voice (the “it is a lie!” that was so creepy is actually funny now).

The initial row of the opening "Super Scription of Data" is marked by a somewhat dark mood carried by a guitar riff and a continuous beat accompanied by lyrics inspired in a popular childish song “let's make a pinky promise: if you lie, swallow a thousand needles” - childish and creepy at the same time. The beginning of the song is marked by a brooding intensity and a lofty path till is struck by a new tone, a more extrovert type of music, when reaching the chorus. This duality represents what is this series pretty well. Highly dramatic is the grand pause in the vocal before the refrain.

AnNina has a unique vocal touch, permitting every lyric its full significance, whether she is belting it out or whispering it. The ending “Manazashi” is a good example of all of these factors working together wonderfully. The piano announces the row in a quietly lyrical mood. The music projects a mood of gentle contemplation. In violent contrast is its lyric, with its overtones of brutality: “I killed them gently, so that they couldn't feel any pain”.

Peace is the dream and the search, the longing for oblivion. Since happiness is not to be attained in that reality, love leads beyond its confines becoming the ultimate escape. Thus the impulse that generates life is transformed by a magnificently romantic gesture into the destroying passion whose fulfillment is death: as a dreamlike lyrical melody, the music is steeped in poetry. The piercing sweetness of the voice, a melancholic violin soaring high above the harmony, the dark resonance of the piano - the song has a high emotional content: “What have I lost?” while shards fall with the characters within.

The irreparable of our past – this is the real corpse. All the other cadavers may very well be a delusion. All the corpses may be alive somewhere else, all our own previous seconds of life may be existing elsewhere in the illusion of space and time, in the falsity of elapsing. But what we were not, what we did not do, what we did not even dream; what only now we see we ought to have done, what only now we clearly see we ought to have been – that is what is dead beyond all the Gods.

What we've missed definitely holds no sort of expectancy in any kind of metaphysical system. Maybe we could bring what we have dreamed to some other world, but could we bring to another world the things we forgot to dream? These, yes, the dreams going begging are the real corpse. We bury it in our hearts for ever, for all time, for all universes.
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Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei supposedly takes place between season 1 and 2 and has no related plot as episode 1 and 5 are one shots.

Story: As I've said the forst and last episode of the OVA are one shots. The first one is delightful, happy and quite funny. A very good way to begin the OVA.
The small story in episode 2-4 is quite interesting, full of tension and nostalgic as you'll feel like you're watching Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai.
The last one shot (ep 5) if the perfect way to end it, another light hearted episode with a lot of funny moments. It's quite special, even for Higurashi, it even has Rena's insane stare in it.

Art: as in the predecessors the art is awesome. The characterdesign is amazing, especially the eyes, which are always a crutical point. The backgroundart is great too, overall the art is equal to the original.

Sound: The Opening is, as always, a bit shady, which fits perfectly in the OVA, especially good for episode 2-4.
The ending is sad, which brings out episode 2-4 too. The songs just fit.
The seiyuus did, like in the original, an awesome job. The quality didn't decrease, though, it didn't increase either. truth to be told, I just love the voices in Higurashi, and so I was happy hearing them again.

Character: The interaction of the character was awesome, just like always. They brought out the funny moments with interaction and made them even more awesome. The character even managed to built up some tension by THEMSELVES, which I don't see too often.

Enjoyment: I enjoyed the OVA a lot, watching the funny moments, just like the serious ones. The tension was good too, and the storylines for all the stories were quite special, as expected of Higurashi.

Overall: an OVA worthy of being recommended. If you enjoyed the Tv series, you'll also enjoy the OVA, but unfortunately it's not a closed story, which disappointed a bit, that's why it's a bit inferior to the original, but still worth watching, if you liked the anime. read more

Story: 8

For the most part, the storyline is good. It is well thought out, and even original, and rather enjoyable. However, there is a thing about the first episode of Higurashi no Naku ni Rei. It doesn't quite fit with the rest of the Higurashi no Naku that we know.

How to put it, it seems more like something we might see from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya." Or maybe one of the random Omake from the end of Bleach This isn't a bad thing, but if one has come to expect something from a fandom, it might come across as an actual shock to the system.

It doesn't quite fit, and one might feel that there were things let out, and that some things are overly exagerated. Enjoyable, yes, but probabbly not one expected. The thing is, before one makes the judgement of the OVA, don't drop it on the first one simply because it is different. It becomes more familiar as one goes.

Art 8:

The art is very good, what one expects from Higurashi.

Sound 7:

To me... the sound... was awsume, but... it wasn't the same as Higurashi, or it was to simular. It kind of bothered me.

Character 10:

This is one of the reasons I stuck around past the first episode. I love the characters. They are well developed and have their own personalities. One also sees a huge what if situation here too, seeing an alternative world that one could see and get ahold of.

Enjoyment 8:

As much as I enjoyied the whole thing, I found the first episode, not what I had expected.

Overall: 9

It's a good series. Yes, I knocked down way low on some things, but really... it was for things that were very particular, and mostly dealt with that one first episode. Don't get me wrong, it was good, and did lead up to the next episode, but it was also odd... so be forewarned.

NOTE: If you are wondering how the two "no Naku" worlds tie in, there is a clue dropped in the OVA. read more

Since a review is ~not~ supposed to be an plot summary, I'll give a general feel of what to expect and my opinion about it:

This OVA is broken into two basic sections: Silly episodes (the first and last) and plot episodes (the middle episodes).

You will likely not enjoy the silly episodes if you did not enjoy the silly/cute side of Higurashi. If, on the other hand you liked the antics throughout Higurashi, the silly episodes will probably just make your day. (They were the highlight of the OVA for me, though that's just personal taste).

The plot episodes have more of a traditional Higurashi feel to them - suspense and mystery are essential elements, though it's a different sort than we're used to, I would say it's much more 'subtle' than the main series. I can't say I enjoyed these episodes quite as much as the main series, but I felt that they were still entirely worth watching, and were very well-done considering the options open to the storyteller at this point in the story.

In short - If you watched Higurashi, you should enjoy this. (If you didn't like the silly stuff, just skip the first and last episode).

Even if you haven't watched Higurashi, the first and last episodes are still entertaining. read more

So, do you want an ending to the Higurashi saga that is enjoyable, makes sense, and isn't full of government conspiracy, retconning, and actually has a sense of paranoia and sadness to it?

Well, skip the first episode which is just stupidity meant to ligthen the mood after two seasons of bloodshed and loli murder.

What has been done is a rather fresh and melancholy take on the series that finally wraps up the "mystery" behind Hinamizawa in a series of very well plotted episodes that solely focus on Rika Furude being trapped in an alternate Hinamizawa where none of the events of Showa 58 happened and only has Hanyuu serve as a distant voice and guide to the choices she must make if she wants to return to "her" Hinamizawa, for being separated from the world she fought to win seems to be the only way she can fully appreciate her struggle.

There is no murder, no disembowelment, no coverups--just a rather touching exchange between Rika and Hanyuu, that and some rather nice solioqoys by "creepy adult Rika." It's all really well done and has a rather eerie vibe to it, regarding a choice Hanyuu forced her daughter to make, a choice Rika is forced to make as well--that and how Hanyuu forever altered Rika's (and Hinamizawa's) fate.

It all is mostly told through dialogue between the two main characters of this arc, so if you don't like to sit around and watch people talk, this probably isn't your thing and anyone expecting a bloodbath to end Hinamizawa, this isn't it, either. The entire story has been trimmed down to two characters, with everyone else just showing up briefly and not getting in the way.

What it is IS a surprisingly charming, touching, and equally creepy end to a rather lopsided run of anime that has been as impressive as of a letdown at times.

But sometimes it's all about how you finish.

And this is quite good. read more

As of right now, there are only 3 episodes out, but stil I felt as if I needed to do a review so here I go!
Story: for those who read the light novel and played the games, you could tell that the animation did a bunch of add-ins and drop outs to the entire story. When I played Saigoroshi, it took me at LEAST 6 hours to complete the entire thing..... haha, but nevertheless, it stuck to the story as much as possible. (Although I hated the fact that they changed Rika's chair scene...) It is pretty choppy though, and for those who just watched the first episode will think, WTF?! at it, but just you wait, there is a reason the op is like that *wink* -8
Art: Compared to the first season, the animation is just superb. I can actually see their noses! For the first viewers, it looks as if they didn't do much with the second season artwork, but evern compared to that, I'd say that artwork has been a great improvement -9
Sound: this is the part where there are mixed feelings. I have a bunch of higurashi fan friends that hate the opening so much, they'd rather listen to michael jackson singing opera(.....). But since the opening features Eiko Shimamiya (the woman who sang the first, second, and both movie openings) there is stil the same feel and vibe as in any typical higurashi song. Ending was better, maybe its because I like anNina.. haha. But really, its not a song that was so out there, it was just, there. Like, plop, here it is. Don't expect anything big if you hated Naraku no Hana, thats it. -8
Character: *SPOILERS* right now, I'm hating it. Too much Rika going depressed and all that. Give me some Mion dammmit!... yes, fans of Satoshi over the world may be rejoicing that he has come back, but in return, our beloved Keiichi has gone over the rainbow. And everybody but Rika, Satoko, and Yamamoto has like, 10 minutes of sceentime. Hanyuu has become a ball, for the love of God. Since number 4 is the last Saigoroshi hen episode, I shouldn't be too judgemental though. Hopefully everything will come to place, and Rika will have less screentime (...but you know, its not going to happen) -7
Enjoyment: The Lighter side of Higurashi has triumphed by FINALLY introducing the SOUL BROTHERS!!! YAAY! Rei is definetely bipolar, though. It goes from slapstick to depression in just one episode, and you can't catch yourself. In my opinion though, it definetely gets the best of you, and it even provides add ons for those who already know what will happen. -9
Overall I'm excited to see how Rei will take things. Since it is an OVA it won't provide all the fun and excitement the first seasom gave but it definately won't drag anything... it only has 5 episodes. Maybe if it was longer it would have had more enjoyment. but, you know, "you reap what you sow." HAHA! -8 read more