***Warning, the following may contain spoilers for Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Reader discretion is advised.***
Series Synopsis
It’s June 1983 in the village of Hinamizawa. Once again it is time for the annual Watanagashi Festival. Though the town is buzzing with anticipation, there’s a noticeable sense of dread in the air. For the past four years, on the day of the festival, a person has died while another has disappeared.
These events are unknown to the town’s newest resident, Keiichi Maebara (voiced by Soichiro Hoshi). Despite his recent arrival, he has managed to befriend several of his classmates.
Rena Ryugu (voiced by Mai Nakahara) loves all things cute and is kind to everyone. Yet underneath she hides a ferocious, violent short fuse.
Mion and Shion Sonozaki (both voiced by Satsuki Yukino) are twins from the towns highest family. The sisters remain close. Although, family politics often force them against each other.
Sotoko Houjou (voiced by Mika Kanai) and Rika Furude (voiced by Yukari Tamura) are a few years younger than Keiichi. They support each other since their families have been affected by the Watanagahsi Curse.
Before the festival, life is happy for this close-knit group. Afterward, their perfect world becomes a nightmare. The curse once again falls upon the town. In a sick twist of fate, Keiichi and the townsfolk must relive the terrifying fallout of this tragedy. Over and over again.
These loving friends, turn on each other. Paranoia and mistrust lead to the gruesome death and murder of them all.
It is unclear if the horrors of this endless June will ever come to an end.
Series Positives
This show was great. From beginning to end it was as fascinating as fascinating can be.
A promising start to the Higurashi story. Not to mention an outstanding beginning to the entire When They Cry series. Even if that includes the far inferior Umineko no Naku Koro ni.
I love me a good horror-mystery and God damn it, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni delivered.
Art Style
“Odyssey, have you lost it? I mean look at this show. Everything’s so cute and adorable. How can…”
NO! No. It’s a trap. It’s a trick. It’s a ruse. This show did not f#%@ around.
Yes, everything does look cute. The style does have an innocent atmosphere. This will lull you into a sense of security. Only to then blindside you when you least expect it. Higurashi became violent, deranged, and twisted mere seconds after being charming and upbeat. 
I’ve complained about a lack of transition before. So, why am I praising it now? Simple, this series doesn't want to make you feel good. It doesn’t want to leave you laughing. It wants to make you feel uncomfortable, unsettled, and uneasy.
The story may have been great. Yet it’s the art style that will surround you in an unfathomable amount of darkness. It takes your perception of what a horror-mystery should look like and throws it out the window.
It was amazing.
The Story
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is a top tier mystery story. This was true both in content and the way it was told. The plot wasn’t at all not linear. Except it wasn’t quite out of order either.
This show was broken up into six arcs:
1. Spirited Away by the Demon
2. Watanagashi
3. Curse Killing
4. Time Wasting
5. Eye Opening
6. Atonement
All these arcs took place during the same time. But all in different realities. Some seemed more connected than others, yet they were all tied one another.
You’ll get a basic understanding of what’s going on. As well as get significant insight into what has happened in the years before June 1983. From here, though, you become responsible for drawing your own conclusions and interpretations.
Mystery and the Supernatural
A quick aside.
The best mysteries stories are the plausible ones. The ones grounded in reality. Take Detective Conan for example. Every case on that show can get solved through reasoning. Nothing was ever reliant on magic or the supernatural.
That begs the question, does the supernatural have a place in the mystery genre?
Yes, but it’s risky.
It’s that way because it becomes easy to create an easy out. If that happens, it’s no longer fun. There’s a way to circumvent that without spending a lot of time developing well-defined rules. The supernatural shouldn’t influence how things happen. Only why they happen.
In Higurashi, the mystery was never how people died. Instead, it was why they were stuck in this perpetual loop.
Series Negatives
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni did so many things right and was such a solid series. That’s why we won't focus on the things it did wrong. Instead, we'll look at what it could’ve done better.
Details and Unanswered Questions
Due to the setup, there were some details that didn’t sync. They were nothing huge, but they were obvious. While I’m positive one or two instances were deliberate, I can’t say that for them all.
To go further, I’d have to give aspects of the plot away. I don’t want to do that. Just know when these moments happen, they’ll take you out of the story for a split second.
Accompanying this, you're not going to learn everything. This, in itself, isn’t the issue because I’m confident more will get explained in the next season. The problem was the show not spending a whole lot of time addressing these questions.
What comes to mind is the very last scene of the Watanagashi Arc. This was the most incomplete of the six because it had the weirdest ending. An ending that was never discussed again.
My gut tells me it had something to do with a bigger aspect to the story.Also, there’s a character, I won’t say who, whose mere existence will throw your understanding of what’s going on into chaos. When introduced, something big is wrong with them. When that secret got revealed, no one cared.
Again, I didn’t need these questions answered right then and there. But it would’ve been nice to see some interest in these contradictions.
Confusion vs Misdirection
Of course, I’m going to compare Higurashi to Another. How could I not?
The story, the mystery, the horror, it was all fantastic. The fact I complained at all is nitpicky on my part. However, when compared to Another, this one is the inferior.
Higurashi relied on confusion where Another relied on misdirection. This is the difference between commendable and the gold standard.
Higurashi leaves you in a state of not knowing. The mark of any good mystery. Yet, you always feel as though you’re not being told everything. Something’s being withheld. Meaning you’re not privileged to that information. This causes you to think of many possibilities for the big reveal. When that moment happens, it’s possible that it won’t be one of the possibilities you thought of.
Too bad that doesn’t always translate into feelings of shock or surprise.
Part of the fun of a mystery story is trying to figure out the ending. Except, since it’s a story, you’re not supposed to figure it out. Not until the storyteller is ready to tell you.
The true goal of a final revelation shouldn't just be something you didn’t think of. It should be something you could never have imagined happening.
A story can do this by not giving you a lot to go on. When information isn't given, there are holes. Thus, causing confusion. This isn't a bad way to mystery if done right. Something Higurashi does. It’s not the best way since this takes a way an ending's potential power.
How can you finish a puzzle if you are not given all the pieces?
Unlike Higurashi, Another didn’t hide anything. It gave all the information. Hiding the truth behind more obvious, albeit false, ones. You being in a state of shock when everything comes together at the end is on you. You didn’t see the clues. You didn’t do the detective work. You fell for the tricks and chose to look in all the wrong places.
Higurashi not doing that is the reason I don't hold it in as high a regard. Then again, few come close to Another.
Final Thoughts
This was a brilliant blend of mystery and horror.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni challenges the way we think of and view these kinds of shows. By doing so, it creates a terrifying atmosphere that many horror anime can't even hope to manage.
The story doesn’t let go of you. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself watching all twenty-six episodes in one sitting.
What makes me happy is this being the first in a larger series. So, keep an eye out. My review on Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai is on its way.
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