New 'Higurashi no Naku Koro ni' TV Anime Unveils Supporting Cast, Staff

by Vindstot
Aug 20, 2020 11:32 AM | 45 Comments

The official website of the new Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (Higurashi: When They Cry - New) television anime unveiled supporting cast, staff, the first key visual (pictured), and a second promotional video on Friday. The four additional cast members are also returning from the original anime series.

The first 13 episodes will air on Thursdays at 11:30 p.m. on Tokyo MX and BS11 beginning October 1, followed by Sun TV. The latter episodes will air on Fridays at 12:30 a.m. on the same channels beginning January 8. Hikari TV and d Anime Store will also stream the new anime. The anime was originally scheduled for Summer 2020, but was delayed due to the effects of COVID-19.

Cast
Kuraudo Ooishi: Chafurin (Baki)
Jirou Tomitake: Tooru Ookawa (ACCA: 13-ku Kansatsu-ka)
Miyo Takano: Miki Itou (Fate/stay night)
Kyousuke Irie: Toshihiko Seki (Mousou Dairinin)

Staff
Assistant Director: Takashi Ikehata (Tsuki ga Kirei)
Art Director: Kazuhiro Inoue (Fate/Apocrypha)
Art Supervision: Saho Yamane (Shinsekai yori art director)
Color Design: Arisa Komatsu (Hitori no Shita: The Outcast)
Director of Photography: Yuuichirou Tozawa (Golden Kamuy)
Editing: Ayako Tan (Bem)
Sound Director: Hiroto Morishita (Fukigen na Mononokean)
Sound Effects: Shouta Yaso (Yakusoku no Neverland)
Music Production: Frontier Works

Keiichirou Kawaguchi (SKET Dance) is directing the new anime at Passione, featuring character designs by Akio Watanabe (Bakemonogatari). Naoki Hayashi (Black Fox, Flip Flappers script) is handling the series composition, and Kenji Kawai (Subete ga F ni Naru) is composing the music. The lead voice cast are reprising their roles from the original 2006 anime.

Studio Deen produced the first television anime in Spring 2006, which was followed by a 24-episode sequel in Summer 2007. The five-episode Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei (When They Cry: Rei) original video anime ran between February and August 2009.

07th Expansion released the first chapter of the psychological horror visual novel, Onikakushi-hen (Demoned Away Chapter), in August 2002. The eighth and final chapter in the original series, Matsuribayashi-hen (Festival Accompanying Chapter), was published in August 2006. Three extra chapters were released in a fandisc in December that year. The latest installment in the franchise, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Hou (When They Cry: Gift), was published in August 2014.

PV 2

Source: Comic Natalie

20 of 45 Comments Recent Comments

I’m so happy about this I can’t wait for this reboot!! 😍 Cant wait to see all those crazy eyes in HD. 😂

(Ok but 2009 weeb me is still kinda sad I never got a season 2 of Umineko but I’ll take what I can get, I know a lot of people hated umineko lol).

Sep 23, 2020 1:19 PM by ErikaFurudo

Let's see if this reboot improves from where Studio Deen started and left off.

In all honesty, while Deen's version looks visually wonky, it has strong direction, sound design, and setting. Not to mention that the ugliness of the visuals just added further to the disturbing factor of the material. My only gripe is that the post-Chiaki Kon Higurashi OVAs didn't seem that effective as the earlier series.

Since Passione's take on this really looks polished and bright, I really doubt that it'll be just as effective as the first but I do hope that it's not the case. Hopefully they won't be afraid to make things disturbingly ugly when the moment needs it (since Deen managed to but went overkill).

Sep 23, 2020 1:27 AM by Znra

I binge-watched Higurashi at the time when Rei came out and it immediately became a favourite of mine. The story, plot, character designs, and music are all perfectly creepy and amazing! To say I'm excited for this reboot is an understatement, however, I'm wondering if this new art style will take away from the charm that the original had. Even if you just compare the PVs, the old version is far creepier than the reboot. Either way, I super happy to be able to watch this series again, especially with all the same voice actors! Let me hear that USODA!!

Sep 10, 2020 11:59 PM by Arurun

If this is a reboot/remake then I'd rather watch this version. The old one has an ugly art style and dogshit character designs. This looks more modern and is actually pleasing to look at.

Sep 2, 2020 9:34 PM by SadMadotsuki

Well time for me to finally watch the old Higurashi seasons then.

Aug 27, 2020 11:36 PM by Gator

The only gripe I had with the Deen version was the visuals and animations, it was one of the main reasons I disliked Deen around that time.

So as long as they don't mess up any big plot things this looks like its going to be better. I get what others are saying about the art style not really fitting in, but honestly compared to Deen's, I'll take the new design and probably better animations.

Now to make it perfect, I just need to find a way to erase my memories so I can have that first time experience lol

Aug 27, 2020 11:23 PM by RogueRiceNinja

I actually prefer this art style. Looks fresh.

Moreover, the main selling point along with the story would be the voice actors who have been that one constant in the VN and the anime. I am not surprised that there are a number of shared voice actors with Umineko too!

Aug 24, 2020 8:45 PM by KreatorX

its cool that theyre getting the original voice actors and the pvs look promising but the art style just looks strange to me and im not sure if i like it or not.

Aug 24, 2020 12:12 PM by removed-user

You probably can’t see it, but I can’t stop smiling

Aug 24, 2020 11:38 AM by Cotaweb

ereman said:

HunLepto said:
Also, to anyone who says this is not staying "true" to the original artstyle, the very original artstyle basically mostly contained blob characters and washed out backgrounds, would you prefer that to be honest over the other ones?

To be honest, I would be interested in watching a Higurashi anime with the o.g. art style with potato hand Rena and all. Could be interesting.

I'd want it more as an april fool's joke kind of OVA or something. Or an end episode skit. But who knows, maybe Passione will somehow, somewhere animate the masterpiece that is Ryuukishi's potato character designing.

Aug 21, 2020 10:01 PM by HunLepto

GoodnightMadao said:
is it worth finishing the original now that this is coming out? the original wasn't bad but didn't really catch my attention, i've had it on hold for a while now.

You can, but I really, REALLY recommend reading through the Question Arcs of the VN if you can. While the anime holds a special place in my heart, because I started with that, the VN is better in many aspects aside from being animated. It has a pretty slow start, but after that, it will pick up pretty well and will be more worth it in the long run. If you want, I can link give you some links as to how to download it and how to upgrade it (remaster patches really help the VN if you look at how it was originally).

Aug 21, 2020 9:57 PM by HunLepto

Satoko-chan! Just wait for me, my love!

Aug 21, 2020 2:21 PM by removed-user

Not sure how I feel about this yet. The new art style is *VERY* different...

Aug 21, 2020 2:14 PM by HorizonX

To be honest, I would be interested in watching a Higurashi anime with the o.g. art style with potato hand Rena and all. Could be interesting.

Aug 21, 2020 2:10 PM by ereman

hell yea, Rena in 1080p <3

Aug 21, 2020 2:02 PM by ilyawm

I'm honestly interested how it will turn out, first trailer made me doubt, but this second trailer made me hyped up and kinda made me see how this artstyle could also fit. Though Deen's artstyle will always hold a special place in my heart and I will probably always rate it higher, I will stay neutral to this artstyle until I see how it's gonna turn out. Also, to anyone who says this is not staying "true" to the original artstyle, the very original artstyle basically mostly contained blob characters and washed out backgrounds, would you prefer that to be honest over the other ones?

Aug 21, 2020 12:52 PM by HunLepto

ereman said:
More Higurashi is always nice, but I feel Akio Watanabe's character art style just doesn't seem fitting for Higurashi. It just feels like I'm watching Grisaia all over again. I really like the character designs for the Higurashi console games (kizuna, matsuri) and had hoped something more akin to that for the new anime. I don't know if I'm just so used to the Visual Novels that I'm hesitant about new art style for Higurashi but I really hope it grows on me.

Also, I really hope the early arcs will have more than 4 episodes/arc. (I'm looking at you, Himatsubushi.)

Personally, I prefer this new artstyle over the old anime one: it looks much more polished, and cutesey. And well, Higurashi is about cute characters, so I think it makes sense.

Thai777 said:
The new art looks really unfitting of Higurashi. Well I don't really care for that I can always read the VN... I'm more interested to see if the opening is going to be as iconic as the first anime opening.

If I had to wager, probably not.

Aug 21, 2020 12:10 PM by removed-user

The new art looks really unfitting of Higurashi. Well I don't really care for that I can always read the VN... I'm more interested to see if the opening is going to be as iconic as the first anime opening.

Aug 21, 2020 7:26 AM by Thai777

RedDesire said:

JanPri said:
Made by Passione; Studio who made Highschool DxD Hero with that ugly artstyle... Ew

Why does Passione feel the need to entirely remake the artstyle and make everything so bright and colorful? Does anybody seriously like that? The old artstyle was good enough.

But Passione only adapted to that art style because it reflected the original High School DxD's LN art style. I didn't mind it, but I'm gonna miss TNK studio's sharply detailed style though.

I'm pretty sure this is more quite of an upgrade rather than solely "making it so bright and colorful" in an awful way. The old Higurashi art was okay as well, hopefully you don't get it wrong.

Anyways, will always be hyped for a Higurashi series!

If they are able to execute the horror well, then i think i'd prefer this artstyle. Idk, i like monogatari and grisaia.
But at the same time, i think that washed off- sharp artstyle worked perfectly for higurashi. I'm uncertain about this one.
Also, I want them to use the old ost(s), maybe after re-making them

Aug 21, 2020 3:42 AM by BerriesSan

Animefan8543477 said:

Because the old style was ugly both the backgrounds and the character models

Also they changed it to look closer to the manga/LN

The higurashi Manga are done by different artists. And its nota manga adaptation, but rather a VN adaptation, which has had 2 different artstyles. none look like this.
If you are talking about Highschool DxD, then no, The character designs weren't ugly.

Aug 21, 2020 3:38 AM by BerriesSan

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