Ranked #66

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Onikakushi-hen (Manga)

If you are a fan of the psychological horror/mystery anime series of the same name, you will most likely love the manga. Even if you have never seen the anime, I'd still highly recommend this manga.

After having read my review of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni(the anime) you'd probably think I'm just obsessed with the show and that's why I'm giving this a perfect score as well. If you want proof that I'm, at the very least, not a blind obsessed fan then just check out my rating of the total disappointment that is Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei.

Anyway, I was very impressed with the artwork in this manga. There is no blandness or unoriginality to the character designs or scenery and there is great detail for those who get bored by artwork like that of the typical manga or graphic novels in general. The creepiness and suspense in some parts make it hard to put the book down(even if you know what's going to happen).

The characters themselves: Keiichi is slightly different here personality-wise in comparison to how he is in the anime series. It's easy to tell that he is knocked completely off-balance by his friends' increasingly strange behavior. Unbelievably, Rena is even more adorable here. Her 'it's so cute, I'm taking it home with me' mode is hilarious as usual. Mion is slightly perverted in the manga(in the anime she's kind of shy) but lovable despite, or maybe because, of that.

In short, these two volumes of the manga are very similar to the first arc in the anime but they give the reader a little more information about the characters and their relationship with one another.

The price is a little unfair in my opinion, but, considering the high quality of the story, characters, and artwork, I'd say it's very much worth it. read more

Now, to get things straight before touching the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni: Abducted by Demons Arc, you have to realise that, even in completing the manga, almost no questions are solved whatsoever, and if reading the manga in order, none are going to be solved for a fairly long time to come.

Starting off just as the Higurashi animé did, 'new kid in town', Keiichi Maebara, is plunged into a world of darkness in the idyllic village of Hinamizawa. The story in the Manga takes a lot longer than the animé does to get into its stride (The first Volume, or 3 Chapters is basically an introduction to the town and characters, and a mood-setting of the main story).
However, once the Manga hits its stride, it delivers an intriguing thrill ride of survival, emotions and loneliness, and a brilliant ending which would make a vast percentage of readers unable to wait for the next Arc :P.

I love the art in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Onikakushi-hen, showing great use of high detail character drawings, which focus on the eyes and facial expressions. Beautiful work, which is fun to just look at, due to the constant change in style and the graphic intensity.

The old saying 'Never judge a book by its cover' was seemingly practically written for Higurashi. Depending on the circumstances, characters shift flawlessly between sanity and insanity, creating a constant sense of unease for us as a reader. While not especially deep initially, the characters in Higurashi are diverse, interesting, and mysterious in various senses.

Overall, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni: Abducted by Demons Arc is a great introduction to the franchise, offering a large wealth in questions to be eventually solved in later arcs, and a great deal of enjoyment. It excels in being a Manga which is such a delight to read, and even reread multiple times. read more