Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou (Higurashi: When They Cry

Alternative Titles

Synonyms: When They Cry, Higurashi: When They Cry - New, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (2020), When the Cicadas Cry, The Moment the Cicadas Cry

Japanese: ひぐらしのなく頃に業

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Information

Type: TV

Episodes: 24

Status: Finished Airing

Aired: Oct 1, 2020 to Mar 19, 2021

Premiered: Fall 2020

Broadcast: Thursdays at 23:30 (JST)

Producers: Frontier Works, Sotsu, MAGES., Tokyo MX, Infinite, BS11, Daiichi Shokai, Kadokawa, ELF-IN

Licensors: Funimation

Studios: Passione

Source: Visual novel

Genres: Horror, Mystery, Supernatural, Suspense

Theme: Psychological

Duration: 23 min. per ep.

Rating: R - 17+ (violence & profanity)

Statistics

Score: 7.21¹ (scored by 59,529 users)

¹ indicates a weighted score.

Ranked: #2871²

² based on the top anime page. Please note that 'Not yet aired' and 'R18+' titles are excluded.

Popularity: #832

Members: 222,697

Favorites: 1,276

External Links

Official Site, AnimeDB, AnimeNewsNetwork, Wikipedia

7.21

Ranked #2871Popularity #832Members 222,697

Fall 2020TVPassione

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Synopsis

Rika Furude and her group of friends live in the small mountain village of Hinamizawa; in June 1983, they welcome transfer student Keiichi Maebara into their ranks, making him the only boy in their group. After school, they have fun playing games and spending each day living their lives to the fullest. Despite this seemingly normal routine, Keiichi begins noticing strange behavior from his friends, who seem to be hiding the town's dark secrets from him.

Elsewhere, a certain person watches these increasingly unsettling events unfold and remembers all the times that this, and other similar stories, have played out. Using that knowledge, this person decides to fix these broken worlds. However, when certain variables change, the individual is faced with a horrifying realization: they have no idea what to expect or how to stop the impending tragedy.

[Written by MAL Rewrite]

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Related Anime

Adaptation:	Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou
Prequel:	Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei
Sequel:	Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Sotsu

More characters

Characters & Voice Actors

Furude, Rika

Main

Tamura, Yukari
Japanese

Ryuuguu, Rena

Main

Nakahara, Mai
Japanese

Sonozaki, Shion

Main

Yukino, Satsuki
Japanese

Sonozaki, Mion

Main

Yukino, Satsuki
Japanese

Maebara, Keiichi

Main

Hoshi, Souichirou
Japanese

Houjou, Satoko

Main

Kanai, Mika
Japanese

Hanyuu

Supporting

Horie, Yui
Japanese

Takano, Miyo

Supporting

Itou, Miki
Japanese

Ooishi, Kuraudo

Supporting

Chafurin
Japanese

Augustus Aurora, Featherine

Supporting

More staff

Staff

Kawaguchi, Keiichirou

Director

Morishita, Hiroto

Sound Director

Majima, Takahiro

Episode Director

Takahashi, Takeo

Storyboard

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Opening Theme

"I believe what you said" by Asaka

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Ending Theme

	4: "I believe what you said" by Asaka (eps 24)
	1: "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni " by Eiko Shimamiya
	2: "Kamisama no Syndrome" by Ayane
	3: "Fukisokusei Entropy" by Ayane

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Reviews

Mar 18, 2021

24 of 24 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 10

Luubie (All reviews)

316 people found this review helpful

--- The review contains spoilers ---

"Oh Rika, I told you to pick one, didn't?" ~ Satoko Houjou

24 episodes, a dream: to continue a franchise of almost 20 years at the height of visual novels and anime. Higurashi no Naku koro ni returned in 2020, with a surreal season. In the first season, we saw crazy, disturbing scenes and a shocking story. Higurashi Kai softens and resolves the disruption and brings a great ending to the entire series. Higurashi Rei is shorter, only 5 episodes, serving as a sequel after Kai. Now, in 2020/1, Higurashi Gou is broadcast and a new information clash is used in order to create two more cours for the show. "14 years have passed since the original broadcast, will they still like the anime?", That question has bothered me since the first of October, but today I can finally understand who liked it and who hated it, after all, it is not common in the days of today having an anime like this.

To begin with, it is visible the work and the high effort of Passione studio and the director, Keiichirou Kawaguchi, in making episodes without any reference to games and bows different from what we already knew before. Of course, the first thirteen episodes brought many impactful scenes and managed to recreate iconic moments (like Rena's "USODA !!"). It was definitely surprising how the first half of behaved positively as being a sequel, after all, Rika is already tired. A hundred years in loopings ... I must admit that this reference to Higurashi Kai may seem confusing at first, but it managed to bring up a new hypothesis: what if she leaves Hinamizawa, after a happy ending in 1983? Well, that's what happened. Rika enrolls at St. Lucia College and begins her journey. Obviously, we don't know how the end of this world was, since she herself doesn't have all the memories herself (even Hanyuu offering everything she has in Nekodamashi). It is incredible this change of perspective, in which Rika goes from being a simple and not very important character, to the protagonist of every anime. "But, wait, what? What's going on with Satoko ????". Yes, now we have a situation where Satoko knows more than the viewers themselves and even Rika herself. You know, I had some problems with the first two seasons. Interesting characters, like Oishi and Satoko, were not fully utilized. In most cases, they were more like a character group that is only important to be quoted or used specifically in some episodes. But look at how we are doing: Oishi has gone mad in Tataridamashi and Satoko finds Eua, an entity, like our dear Hanyuu, who also has creative powers from other worlds. It is difficult to say and explain all the points and relevance of Eua without mentioning Umineko (another series in the When They Cry franchise), so much so that it is understandable to see people disgusted by this introduction of a sudden character, but I must say that it was a great choice of scriptwriter for this fourth season. He brought a continuation with material shortened by the Ryukishi07 series limits and transcended the limits for something big.

Rena, Shion, Mion and Keichi are the ones that were most "forgotten" during the second part of the anime. In fact, this is unpleasant. It is not the same impression of character development that they had, compared to the old anime. My favorite Shion (even Higurashi Gou), was practically nonexistent in the entire show. Rena again became the "yandere" character of the show, maintaining many climaxes and iconic moments, especially in Onidamashi. Keichi, on the other hand, became the protagonist of the entire first half, but again presented some construction flaws with the show in the sequence. I don't say it was bad, since the outcome was purposely focused on Rika, Satoko and Hanyuu. Speaking of Hanyuu, she finally had more explanations regarding her limits as an entity that personifies Oyashiro-Sama. She did in fact become a fundamental piece for Rika during the final events, but I was sad to see that she apparently had a not very good and even melancholy fate.

And how can we not mention the masterpiece that was episode 16? Among all that we've seen, this moment was much more exciting and cathartic than anything we've seen before. It was a promising entry from a different Satoko. It seemed that she was the villain of the series, and in fact, she comes to be. When Eua offers part of its powers to Satoko, it uses it to normalize the problems that Rika leaving Hinamizawa would leave forever marked in these infinite fragments. It is not common, nor usual to see Satoko being a scary character in Higurashi. The cases always involved Rena, Shion, Keichi and Mion as the biggest protagonists and cursed. Satoko has never been so prominent before, and I loved it. Her personality having a little change, experiencing everything that Rika lived, was a great narrative to follow the story forward. I like alternating postures and psychological dualities in Higurashi, but Satoko's perspective has outgrown much of what has already been brought up. She starts from a child who loves her friend as her only family to a young woman unsure about the upheaval that changes in her friendship with Rika could change Hinamizawa's course. And even though this seems to be a spook on Satoko's part, her side of concern for her home village is visible, after all, even if there is a perfect destination, Higurashi always contains tragedies and plot twists, where some moments are not predictable. Higurashi Gou was like that and knew how to use his elements very well.

Another issue to be valued is the production of the show. Of course, Higurashi was never an anime to be praised for its animation, that I confess, but the Passione studio brought a much better look than the art of 2006 and brought it much closer with the version of the games. This aesthetic is reminiscent of the Monotagari Series (of course, the show's designer did direct work on this series), in addition to appropriating more up-to-date environments. Again, some episodes are not well used even with this improvement, it is not easy to accept the Kimiyoshi scene in episode 15, for example, but it was the best they were able to do in its entirety. Many moments had a very good and above average graphic, which made me happy from the beginning. In addition, the songs again are one of the strongest points of the franchise. The opening was very good for the situations that the anime was in with the time, besides the endings were absurdly good. Irregular Entropy and God's Syndrome are songs that will mark me forever, because in addition to adding well to the message that Higurashi wants to convey, he promoted a great artistic style in the images that composed them throughout the show. The plot? As already said, he was creative, innovative and brought a different posture. It was a perfection made by the show's screenwriter, who knew how to take advantage of many of Higurashi's details, in addition to his references to the old one and the game, which are huge. The director was also impeccable at many times (episode 16 was, for me, the best of all anime in 2020, easily). The franchise can surely celebrate with the result obtained. When They Cry and 07th Expansion must be happy.

Many are wondering if Higurashi Gou can continue with a sequel. I feel like yes. At times, the show has convinced itself that it has more to show. It's not like everything that happened was empty, there are already 3 other seasons that show that clearly. But it would be great to see other strands and attempts in history, to continue the series seriously. Particularly, Hinamizawa has a lot of content to be explored, that is a fact. So, continuing with a few more episodes and a new sequence would bring new chances and adaptations to the show as a whole.

(And look what a surprise, before sending the review, Higurashi will have a sequence confirmed by Funimation.)

Finally, if you've made it this far, you should realize that it's not just any anime. Higurashi marked generations (me too) and broke many paradigms of horror and suspense, something that has not been seen for a long time. 2020 was a difficult year, the anime obviously suffered from the bad reception of many fans and newcomers with the show. I must say, it is normal and I respect the position of these people. Nobody imagined that these more controversial versions and changes in history would be chosen by Kawaguchi. However, I loved everything that was proposed. Higurashi has entered my favorites because of this season, which, for me, is nothing short of great. I really hope for a possible reinterpretation of people with the show, in fact, we are talking about a unique and exclusive content, the beloved of Ryukishi07, a little commented masterpiece. Congratulations to everyone who pledged to make this anime. Congratulations to Passione, for taking such a good title and continuing with great originality. To those who didn't watch the first few seasons, I highly recommend watching it, if it pleased you. You will certainly have no regrets about this.

NIPPAH <3

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Mar 18, 2021

24 of 24 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 2

Mistrals_ (All reviews)

241 people found this review helpful

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

The entire time spent watching Higurashi Gou, I found a pair of questions plaguing my mind: who is this for and why does it exist?

Unfortunately, two cours later I still lack any satisfactory answers. As much as I’d like to believe this exists for reasons beyond plugging a gacha game and lining the creators’ pockets, I’m struggling to say otherwise. I can only hope the upcoming sequel Sotsu will be able to build off of Gou’s foundation and take this story anywhere interesting or meaningful; as is, the only things I can credit Gou for are its extreme lack of respect for read more

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Mar 18, 2021

24 of 24 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 2

SingleH (All reviews)

156 people found this review helpful

To turn a remake into a failure, you simply have to make it worse than the original, and to turn a sequel into a failure, you have to make it contribute nothing of value to and be so significantly worse than its predecessors that watching it actually dilutes the quality of the entire series as a whole. In an effort to be simultaneously accessible to newcomers and satisfying to long time fans, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou tries to be a remake and a sequel at the same time, but it manages to only have the failures of both, so the resulting mess should hardly pander to either demographic at all. While I’m not going to spoil anything specific, it's worth mentioning this show begins exactly where season one does, but it also immediately exposes secrets from season two before finishing a single arc or even establishing the fact this series is a time loop, thus it dismantles everything good about the original mystery by revealing what's inside the mystery box before you even knew it was there. Newcomers won’t appreciate or even comprehend the significance of certain knowledge without fully understanding the time loop and will also fail to recognize principle characters when so much focus is being shifted to those who shouldn't even be introduced yet, and fans of the original will be confused as to why any of this is appearing so soon and in such a jumbled fashion. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou consistently miscalculates how it plans to cohesively rearrange major fixtures of the plot so often, it fails to even feel like the same story any longer.

Before I even criticize the writing in depth, however, I first must decry the aspect of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou which turned me off to it even before fully comprehending its horrendous narrative structure and other fundamental problems: and that is its art style. Studio Deen has been well known in all the wrong ways for all the right reasons for the last twenty five years, and the original Higurashi no Naku Koro ni was no exception to their sometimes disastrous animation production values. That said, as much as the community wants to make memes out of awkward looking screenshots, the scratchy hand-drawn look of Deen’s linework combined with the simple colors and thick retro shadows Chiaki Kon used to juggle the show’s two very different tones made the general atmosphere feel extremely artful and visually cohesive, and when it came to the true horror and gore, the disregard for the anatomical integrity of the character art really did contribute to the demented feeling of the already shocking scenarios. The animation quality of Studio Passione’s Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou is consistently and clearly higher than that of the original Deen projects, but the actual art design and visual style is inarguably uninspired, and in my own personal opinion, just downright ugly. Everything looks so uncannily shiny and clean despite the naturalistic setting of Hinamizawa, and the glossy, digital coloration on all the character art just makes everyone look inhuman. It’s impossibly unimmersive.

It’s almost a shame the original voice cast did such a good job reprising their roles, because the writing is so dull, it turned a thriller into a slog. While season two definitely slowed down to unpack the mystery and finally work towards a solution to stop the loop and save the day, season one was absolutely nail-biting, fiercely memorable, and filled to the brim with clues and hints season two would eventually come around to piece together. Every episode had it’s own twists and turns, and even some of the dialogue found in the saccharine scenes at the beginning of each loop was meant to imply something important to the plot, and this tight script never failed to keep you so far on the edge of your seat, you’d nearly fall off when the excitement went up to eleven. However, this ability to remain engaging throughout has been entirely lost. The same meandering conversations and pandering diversions from the story at hand which are so common in anime nowadays have now penetrated a franchise as famously intoxicating as this one, and the resulting show is honestly boring to sit through. The worst part of it all, though, is the caveat of expanded universe. It turns out a lot of the alterations that make no sense even to those who’ve seen the original are actually elements from the Higurashi AND Umineko visual novels, so if you want the full experience, you have to venture outside the franchise and outside the entire god damn medium of animation which you came to enjoy in the first place to do so.

Being the cynical bitch I am, my original conception of this project was one of pure skepticism and dismissal upon first seeing the key visual with Reina’s new generic moe design. If anything, I figured they were just bringing the series back to milk it for the gore and call it a day, but they didn’t even deliver on that. The death scenes are paltry when compared to the legendary originals, and I think it all just comes down to a misguided vision for what the series was or, frankly, just bad directing. To even do the whole remake-but-also-a-sequel thing at all, they had to make the first episode essentially a one-to-one copy of the original to mislead everyone into thinking they were starting from narrative scratch, and even though the show slowly but surely crashes and burns, I think this was a good decision to begin with because it gives the audience a perfect and immediate opportunity to directly compare the two iterations. Say what you will about Chiaki Kon as a creative, and say what you will about Studio Deen as a production company, but you simply must recognize how well the original team captured the foreboding ambiance 07th Expansion manifests within the core of all their works, and you also must appreciate how electrifying the tension was in Kon’s sporadic direction, sporadic direction which itself demonstrated how expertly she was able to capture Ryukishi’s whiplashing tone shifts. Basically, it’s a matter of artistic inspiration, and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou has absolutely none.

Thank you for reading.

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Mar 18, 2021

24 of 24 episodes seen

Overall Rating: 9

Kaizoku-Otaku (All reviews)

78 people found this review helpful

If you stumbled upon this article because you're curious about Higurashi and think you can start from here. This is the place for you. Don't worry. I won't include any spoilers at all. Now let me tell you, this is not a remake, a reboot, a spin-off, or any of that. It's a bonafide sequel. Whoever told you otherwise is a liar and should be ashamed of themselves. When it comes to the haters. Are there what seems to be what you call plotholes, or simply that things don't make sense? What did you expect? If you have watched the prequel and not wandered into Gou just cause, you'd know these things. I want to say I am honestly disappointed in those who dare call themselves fans of the visual novel. Did you even realize that Gou is by far the most consistent Higurashi to date that follows the style of the visual novel to the teeth and Ryukishi's writing? It's answering questions that only true fans are aware of from the prequel, expanding on topics hinted at in Higurashi, all the while establishing a proper connection to Umineko and even the newly WTC (When They Cry) visual novel Ciconia. On top of all that, while building upon the finer details from previous Higurashi. It's giving us a new story that still manages to retain the mysterious and other aspects we love from Higurashi. In other words, if you are a Ryukishi07 enthusiast. It doesn't get any better than this.

I have seen all kinds of nonsensical reasons to justify the hate. If you are talking about production being a hit or miss or other inconsistencies. I get where you're coming from, even if I don't entirely agree, but having seen all of Higurashi, followed by Gou. All this should have at least told you from a writing point of view that Ryukishi's the kind of writer that likes to confuzzle the audience, make them feel utterly lost, give them a reason to use the mind. Hence leave enough evidence and clues to give them a crack at solving the puzzle pieces. The WTC franchise has always been the kind of story where you have to go through the entire story to genuinely appreciate it because it's designed that way. We only got parts of the pages in the book, but many are still missing, though it will be filled by Sotsu when it rolls around 2021 07/07. Bless you, for that reference, Ryukishi07. Higurashi Gou is first and foremost a sequel. In which case, it means we got five seasons of Higurashi (Rei and Sotsu included). I cannot even begin to express my happiness at the thought of that. Ryukishi is known to write his story in a way where each work influences the other, making the experience richer and even savourier. Hence, reading another work from WTC might give you a completely new perception of what Higurashi as a whole is about.

It might make things even easier to follow or hard, depending on how you take it. Regardless, if you're done with Higurashi, I highly suggest checking out Umineko's visual novel or the manga (not the awful anime adaptation). Another masterpiece by the hands of Ryukishi. It'll definitely clear your mind and give you a completely new comprehension. Let me throw this out there the "origin of miracles" and the "origin of certainty." If you've read Umineko already, then you should know what I am hinting at here. I won't include direct spoilers as I want everyone the joy of figuring it out for themselves. After all, part of the fun about any entries of WTC (When They Cry) is being able to predict and theorize to your heart's content. Oh, not to mention witnessing how completely off the mark you are when your ideas fall flat as Ryukishi sneers at you. I will admit it was not cool of Ryukishi to introduce Gou as a remake or a reboot. That even the newcomers can watch it. Considering it spoils major chunks of Higurashi in the second episode. In contrast, in the first episode, things are not as clear. Sadly, not everyone knows that Ryukishi is a major troll that lies as naturally as he breathes. But you have to be lying to me if you said nothing felt off by the second episode. It's true Higurashi is meant to give you a sense of feeling lost, things not making sense, but Gou took that to another level. If you watched it without having seen previous installments, you could tell it was clearly not friendly to newcomers even for a bit, suggesting it might've been a sequel, which it happened to be.

There's no denying the new art's more lighthearted than the previous Higurashi, which might ruin the atmospheric tone for some. In my case, I love it. Why? Because it's the most faithful style to the visual novel, we've received yet. I adore the good old art-style from the Deen adaptation, too, but when it comes to expressions and comedy, it hits far stronger with this new style. The characters have never been so expressive without looking all messy and off-modeled, which is a recurring issue in the Deen version. Even voice-acting has been absolutely top-notch and cleaner, as you would expect with upgraded software and hardware. No, the production and direction are not perfect, but would you seriously call it terrible? Not even close. I have nothing but praise for Akio Watanabe's gorgeous and rich art-style and Keiichiro Kawaguchi's strong direction, which never made me wonder if I was watching anything but Higurashi. One specific episode was a genuine masterpiece, from the direction to the voice acting, to the shot composition, to the way the colors were used to emphasize the severity of the situation. Oh, let's not forget about the gore and the sound effects, which make you so uncomfortable that you have to turn away or cover your eyes. It was gruesome, but it also illustrated the unstable mind of a certain someone.

And Most of the few animation inconsistencies here and there can easily be fixed in the BD release. Studio Passione didn't even shy away from gore by giving us an early release of few uncensored episodes. Sadly, haters somehow found a way to insult it even that, failing to notice how good the effects, the tone, and brutality were. Trust me, this was gore without any limitations whatsoever. I was cringing like mad, had to even cover my eyes since it was truly a visceral spectacle. Don't get me wrong here. I loved it, even if it made me hold onto my gut as my life counted on it. Gou also got a manga adaptation that was released at the same time as the anime. It includes more details that anime cut out. The art-style of Tomose Akase is absolutely gorgeous, as is the execution of the tone and paneling. Think of the manga as a supplementary to the anime. It's amazing so far. Chapter comes out on a bi-monthly basis.

Did you know Higurashi has always been more of a mystery than a horror story, but not many seem to not understand that? Sure, the first part clearly had lots of jumpscares and other terrifying moments that made you jump out of your seat. But Higurashi always has been a circle of tragedies with a big dash of mystery to make you feel lost, question things, and so on. The unfamiliarity of Hinamizawa and the things going on there had us under the influence of paranoia. But at the end of the road, we got our answers, and we knew where and how to connect the dots. In Gou's case, it's trying to sell itself even more as a tragedy than horror. That might be why you don't feel as frightened, but you're straight out lying if you said you're not feeling lost either. An example of this is the iconic main theme of Higurashi. The original version has a more scary and paranoid vibe, while the Gou version sounds sad and emanates a feeling of loss and suffering. In other words, tragedy. Hopefully, you see the point I am trying to make here. Gou is a completely new take on our beloved Higurashi without losing key elements of the prequel. On another note, the soundtrack in Higurashi Gou is phenomenal and nails its relevant themes Gou is trying to showcase. We had Asaka on the opening, blessing us with a bopper track. Ayane returned again with more striking and beautiful tunes. Mind you, both songs include heavy symbolism, foreshadowing, context. Even the dialogue is super important. You can tell Ryukishi was there with Passion supporting them and instructing them as clearly, his fingerprints are everywhere.

Yes, I loved Higurashi Gou as if it was not obvious already, plus evidently, I am biased with it, but that's fine. I am not forcing you to take things I am writing her for granted. If I can offer you a new perspective and give you some value, then that's enough for me. I don't like seeing one of my favorite writers being insulted when haters aren't even able to provide logical reasoning to support their rant. So here I will state who Higurashi and WTC franchise as a whole is truly meant for. Are you on the lookout for a puzzle that might seem hazy not make sense at first, but gradually as the pieces get revealed, it falls in places? Do you love the idea of been giving the room to theorize and predict events? Then there you go. It's also worth noting, you need to patient, have your brain on at all times, be open-minded, able to think outside of the box. Higurashi is not meant for your average watcher or reader. What's so good about Higurashi? It's the fact Ryukishi utilizes details from his enormous WTC collection to build upon and expand the story further. Plus, he somehow makes things always connect when it seems impossible and does a wonderful job of explaining it. He writes the works to also gives out a very meaningful and emotional message that is relevant in the current day and even the past. If you are curious about more of those takes, I suggest reading my first Higurashi review, which also includes no spoilers and delves into characters, among other things. You can find it on my Anilist. I mainly wanted this review to show you why Gou was always meant to be a thing, should you watch it and dispel some of the hate it's been received by others.

In any case, Higurashi Gou is my favorite anime of the 2021 Spring season, and with Sotsu right around the corner. This new installment of Higurashi most likely will be my AOTY of 2021. My hats off to Ryukishi-sensei and the entirety staff off Passione. They killed it. If you have not already started Higurashi. I highly recommend it. Whether it be the superior visual novel, solid manga adaptation, or the a-okay but not even close to terrible anime. Sure, it's low-cost, but Deen nailed the atmospheric tone, even if many details from the manga and especially the visual novel got cut out. It's completely worth your time and a good way to dip your toes into WTC verse, even if it's not the best way and definite way to experience Higurashi. I didn't include any spoilers since Gou is so fragile that slipping some can ruin it completely. I want everyone to watch Higurashi and the second part of Higurashi, starting with Gou, ending with Sotsu. As blind as possible, you don't want to ruin this unique gem's once-in-a-lifetime experience. By the subtext, hints, even the writing, it's clear a lot of time and effort went into writing Gou. If you go ahead and reread Higurashi, you could see that it was even planned.

It should be noted, my score encompasses my enjoyment and the faith I have in Ryukishi when everything is complete, that's why it's already so high. Despite so, I also had moments where I was not entirely on board and failed to understand things in Gou, but in the last two arcs, I was completely absorbed into the story. I should've expected as much since I was lost during the very first Higurashi. Still, I was addicted the deeper I went into it. It tells me on a new rewatch, I will be able to appreciate it far more since now some key things do make sense. We know whodunnit, whydunnit, howdunnit, but clearly, there is a lot more story to tell. We have some of the keys to grasp certain details and comprehend them, even if the puzzle got holes left to fill. That's what makes Ryukishi such a brilliant writer since you know it's all intentional. There are hints of the events of Gou in the prequel even before it was a thing. You'd most likely only realize it first now since your perception will once again increase, alongside your passion for WTC. After all, this franchise is the kind of story that revisiting would be much more rewarding than the first time. Plus, reading other WTC works will again influence your feelings about other products from the WTC franchise.

At last, I want you to know Higurashi Gou (karma) is playing out like Kai because it answers parts of the questions but leaves the rest for a sequel. You might be confused about what's going on, but this will clearly be answered in Sotsu. All your worries will be laid to rest. The anime adaptation of Kai had two answers arc, so does Gou. But like prequel Higurashi, we might have eight arcs in total. Four of which are questions and the remeaning being the answers. In other words, Sotsu is the answer to all our questions. Plus, it will be the graduation, the ultimate closure to the whole Higurashi franchise. It's been going for over 20+ years, but Ryukishi can finally complete the whole puzzle at last. This is again hinting at Higurashi Gou always being planned. Don't even get me started on how Gou might be the segue into the events of Ciconia. If my words were able to pique your curiosity even slightly, take this chance to dip your toes in WTC, starting with Higurashi. Welcome to Hinamiazwa.

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Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou

Alternative Titles

Information

Statistics

External Links

Synopsis

Background

Visit MALxJapan MALxJapan -More than just anime-

Related Anime

Characters & Voice Actors

Staff

Opening Theme

Ending Theme

Reviews

Recommendations

Recent News

Recent Forum Discussion

Recent Featured Articles

MoreTop Anime

MoreTop Airing Anime

MoreMost Popular Characters

Visit MALxJapan
MALxJapan -More than just anime-