The second season of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is great.
*****SPOILERS ALERT*****
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Instead of a number of short story arcs as with the first season, the second season features long story arcs. While everything goes wrong in the first season, the second season shows how the various tragedies can be avoided and finally, the cause of everything that has happened. Through the many deaths in the first season, the characters finally have the means to fight against their grim fates. Throughout the anime, I find myself rooting for the characters and when they succeed, I celebrate with them.
This quite drastically changes the tone of the anime from one where the characters are led down into death and despair to one where the characters are actively resisting death and despair. From tragic to epic. This tonal shift perfectly justifies splitting 50 episodes into two seasons instead of just one long one. It's almost a different anime.
Almost.
The story is not all about "fighting against fate". One important part shows a helpless victim of circumstance and it's great. It shows exactly the events that lead up to forming the malevolent character, how the character changed after living through so much.
The animation and art was improved from the previous season but it's still basically the same art style, simple and cutesy. It gives the moments where people are serious more weight since the characters suddenly become more detailed.
As far as I can tell, the music is the same as the first, it blends into the background and sets the mood. The track titled "Main Theme" is still used and to great effect.
Personally, after seeing so much go wrong for the characters in the first season, it became surprisingly nice to see things go right. I would normally feel that so much going the way of the protagonists is contrived but it somehow just feels right in this case. It may be because I want to see them have some good as a kind of redemption for all the suffering before, maybe.
Additionally, the segment at the end of every episode, the preview for the next episode, was a nice addition. I looked forward to that part whenever I saw the credits. It's fun.
Overall, it's an excellent sequel that wraps up the series neatly.
9/10
