A very mature show, combined with mystery. The story it self is about a group of friends living in the rural mountain city, Hinamizawa.
They all attend the same school and enjoy playing board games, partaking in competitive challenges with one another, and attending the annual Watanagashi Festival. The long summer days for the five friends are care-free and innocent.
Until something goes terribly wrong...
For the past four years, on the cotton drifting festival, a gruesome series of deaths comes on this special night.
The story of Higurashi takes place during the time of the fifth festival since these events began.
From here, it's not your usual horror story.
The story is retold differently with every story arc which presents a different view of the same events. The re-tellings are character-dependent which develops the characters and makes each story vary from one another to the point where even some of the facts of the case are called into question but nevertheless provides clues to the overall mystery. I suggest watching this one arc at a time so dedicate about two hours in the middle of the night, turn off the lights, and prepare to get creeped out.
The art is nothing extra ordinary, but that is certainly not required.
Putting this sweet look to the girls really helps developing their character, making the tension when the gruesome scenes happen even worse.
It’s been years since Higurashi was released and this anime remained one of the very, if not the most, important titles in horror anime circle. My rating seems quite trivial now because time has already proved this anime’s quality and achievement.
