Each episode is packed full of suspense, mystery and a general sense that something is going down. It tackles interesting themes such as trust, friendship and paranoia. The sounds help to give that sudden change in atmosphere as you realise that something isn't quite right and yet sometimes it was when the sound abruptly stops at certain points that left me pulling out my hair, kind of like when you're at the top of a rollercoaster, waiting for the drop.
The art style is also very interesting, managing to make the characters look innocent and cute which all adds to the air of mystery as you wonder how they could go from that one minute to psychopathic killers the next. My hat goes of to the man (or woman) who was in charge of designing the characters' eyes as the intense emotion that manages to be portrayed through the eyes in some scenes is outstanding.
I loved how the mood could instantly go from perfectly fine to "shit just hit the fan" in seconds as it left me fearing the unexpected and anticipating the next twist, of which there are plenty.
When you get right down to it, the story is genuinely touching and tragic and it takes a special kind of Anime to make me feel things. Some parts made me cry, made me feel scared and even made me laugh which all helped to connect with the characters.
If you haven't watched Higurashi and are disappointed by the amount of horror out there with mediocre stories and character development, you should most certainly check out Higurashi. You won't regret it!
(You should watch the sub. Never. Ever. Watch the dub.)
