Characters - 9/10
The characters are still awesome just like the first season. However, the focus is shifted to different members of the cast. Rika and Takano didn't get much attention in the first season, but now, they have all the spotlight!
Rika Furude is a very determined character that the audience really wants to root for. Her main conflict throughout the series is challenging fate, as she has failed countless times. The audience really feels for Rika character and wants her to succeed. While she does doubt herself, she is not a weak character, and will pull through even the most difficult of times. I thought she had great development in this season, as she learns to place trust in those close to her in order to change the future.
Hanyuu is a new addition to the cast. She does have a noticeable character arc, but I don't want to give any details so you can see for yourself.
Miyo Takano is one of the greatest villains that I've seen in an anime! She is sly, cruel, and manipulative. You will end up DESPISING her, yet she still gets a nice backstory to back her motivations.
The rest of the cast is still decent. Not too much is developed from the first season, but considering the shift in focus to Rika as the protagonist, it makes sense. The first season gave even attention to the club members, and while focusing on one cast member can appear more boring, I will assure you that is not the case.
Story - 9/10
My main gripes with this season is the plot. Now, I still found it to be really engaging and a rewarding experience. However, there were quite a few problems with it that made me give this section a lower score than the first season. To start, Kai is devoid of most of the horror elements from the first season. The original did a great job at building suspense. Much of the tension and atmosphere is lost in this series with the removal of the horror. If the first season was "Silent Hill", then the second is basically "The Goonies". All of the recommendations on the MAL page include shows such as "Steins Gate" and "Madoka Magica" as opposed to "Elfen Lied" and "Another". I wouldn't say that this different approach is bad, just very different, and viewers should be aware before going into this series expecting more slasher action.
This brings me to my next problem, and that is basically the ending. Without spoiling, I will just say that the last few episodes were a little silly when it came to resolving the conflict. Many of the situations towards the end are pretty unrealistic and hard to take seriously. If you think Ewoks beating Stormtroopers in "Return of the Jedi" was dumb, then you will NOT like the last act of this season. From such a mature series, I was definitely disappointed with the direction the story took by the end. Not to say that I wasn't satisfied with the outcome, I was more disappointed by how clumsily it was resolved.
The last problem I have with the plot is how the mysteries from the first season were answered. The first season of Higurashi mostly covered the "Question" chapters from the visual novel, while the second season covered the "Answers". Now, you do get answers to everything brought up in the first season, because honestly, the first season could be confusing for a lot of people. However, this season does the complete opposite by disrespecting the intelligence of the audience. You get your answers, but everything is extremely straightforward and forced. The writers REALLY want you to get what happened. This issue isn't that significant since you do in fact get resolution to all the shit in the first season, I just wish that it was executed better without all of the hand holding.
Despite my complaints, the plot of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai is pretty good! There are many twists and turns and excellent world building to make up for the shortcomings.
Art - 7/10
The art is a step up from the first season, which didn't have the best animation. The scenery of Hinamizawa looks great. All of the character designs stand out. Animation is generally very smooth and not jarring to look at. I don't have much more to add, the art in Kai is fairly well done.
Sound - 9/10
Sound design is once again amazing in the Higurashi. Voice performances are spot on, the soundtrack is used very well, and the cicada cries can't go unmentioned. I also loved both the OP and ED, never skipped them!
Enjoyment - 9/10
Despite my issues with the plot, I still enjoyed Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai just as much as the first season! With an engaging story, great cast of characters, and an awesome soundtrack, it's hard not to enjoy this season if you liked the first.
Overall - 9/10
This is an amazing series, and if you've never seen the first season, then give it a chance! I don't like how this series gets compared to yandere schlock, there is much more to Higurashi than that. Every aspect of the series is very exceptional, and I think everyone should give it a try if they like murder mysteries and horror series.
