Rika Furude and her group of friends live in the small mountain village of Hinamizawa; in June 1983, they welcome transfer student Keiichi Maebara into their ranks, making him the only boy in their group. After school, they have fun playing games and spending each day living their lives to the fullest. Despite this seemingly normal routine, Keiichi begins noticing strange behavior from his friends, who seem to be hiding the town's dark secrets from him.
Elsewhere, a certain person watches these increasingly unsettling events unfold and remembers all the times that this, and other similar stories, have played out. Using that knowledge, this person decides to fix these broken worlds. However, when certain variables change, the individual is faced with a horrifying realization: they have no idea what to expect or how to stop the impending tragedy.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
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Luubie
--- The review contains spoilers --- "Oh Rika, I told you to pick one, didn't?" ~ Satoko Houjou 24 episodes, a dream: to continue a franchise of almost 20 years at the height of visual novels and anime. Higurashi no Naku koro ni returned in 2020, with a surreal season. In the first season, we saw crazy, disturbing scenes and a shocking story. Higurashi Kai softens and resolves the disruption and brings a great ending to the entire series. Higurashi Rei is shorter, only 5 episodes, serving as a sequel after Kai. Now, in 2020/1, Higurashi Gou is broadcast and a new information clash is used inorder to create two more cours for the show. "14 years have passed since the original broadcast, will they still like the anime?", That question has bothered me since the first of October, but today I can finally understand who liked it and who hated it, after all, it is not common in the days of today having an anime like this.
To begin with, it is visible the work and the high effort of Passione studio and the director, Keiichirou Kawaguchi, in making episodes without any reference to games and bows different from what we already knew before. Of course, the first thirteen episodes brought many impactful scenes and managed to recreate iconic moments (like Rena's "USODA !!"). It was definitely surprising how the first half of behaved positively as being a sequel, after all, Rika is already tired. A hundred years in loopings ... I must admit that this reference to Higurashi Kai may seem confusing at first, but it managed to bring up a new hypothesis: what if she leaves Hinamizawa, after a happy ending in 1983? Well, that's what happened. Rika enrolls at St. Lucia College and begins her journey. Obviously, we don't know how the end of this world was, since she herself doesn't have all the memories herself (even Hanyuu offering everything she has in Nekodamashi). It is incredible this change of perspective, in which Rika goes from being a simple and not very important character, to the protagonist of every anime. "But, wait, what? What's going on with Satoko ????". Yes, now we have a situation where Satoko knows more than the viewers themselves and even Rika herself. You know, I had some problems with the first two seasons. Interesting characters, like Oishi and Satoko, were not fully utilized. In most cases, they were more like a character group that is only important to be quoted or used specifically in some episodes. But look at how we are doing: Oishi has gone mad in Tataridamashi and Satoko finds Eua, an entity, like our dear Hanyuu, who also has creative powers from other worlds. It is difficult to say and explain all the points and relevance of Eua without mentioning Umineko (another series in the When They Cry franchise), so much so that it is understandable to see people disgusted by this introduction of a sudden character, but I must say that it was a great choice of scriptwriter for this fourth season. He brought a continuation with material shortened by the Ryukishi07 series limits and transcended the limits for something big.
Rena, Shion, Mion and Keichi are the ones that were most "forgotten" during the second part of the anime. In fact, this is unpleasant. It is not the same impression of character development that they had, compared to the old anime. My favorite Shion (even Higurashi Gou), was practically nonexistent in the entire show. Rena again became the "yandere" character of the show, maintaining many climaxes and iconic moments, especially in Onidamashi. Keichi, on the other hand, became the protagonist of the entire first half, but again presented some construction flaws with the show in the sequence. I don't say it was bad, since the outcome was purposely focused on Rika, Satoko and Hanyuu. Speaking of Hanyuu, she finally had more explanations regarding her limits as an entity that personifies Oyashiro-Sama. She did in fact become a fundamental piece for Rika during the final events, but I was sad to see that she apparently had a not very good and even melancholy fate.
And how can we not mention the masterpiece that was episode 16? Among all that we've seen, this moment was much more exciting and cathartic than anything we've seen before. It was a promising entry from a different Satoko. It seemed that she was the villain of the series, and in fact, she comes to be. When Eua offers part of its powers to Satoko, it uses it to normalize the problems that Rika leaving Hinamizawa would leave forever marked in these infinite fragments. It is not common, nor usual to see Satoko being a scary character in Higurashi. The cases always involved Rena, Shion, Keichi and Mion as the biggest protagonists and cursed. Satoko has never been so prominent before, and I loved it. Her personality having a little change, experiencing everything that Rika lived, was a great narrative to follow the story forward. I like alternating postures and psychological dualities in Higurashi, but Satoko's perspective has outgrown much of what has already been brought up. She starts from a child who loves her friend as her only family to a young woman unsure about the upheaval that changes in her friendship with Rika could change Hinamizawa's course. And even though this seems to be a spook on Satoko's part, her side of concern for her home village is visible, after all, even if there is a perfect destination, Higurashi always contains tragedies and plot twists, where some moments are not predictable. Higurashi Gou was like that and knew how to use his elements very well.
Another issue to be valued is the production of the show. Of course, Higurashi was never an anime to be praised for its animation, that I confess, but the Passione studio brought a much better look than the art of 2006 and brought it much closer with the version of the games. This aesthetic is reminiscent of the Monotagari Series (of course, the show's designer did direct work on this series), in addition to appropriating more up-to-date environments. Again, some episodes are not well used even with this improvement, it is not easy to accept the Kimiyoshi scene in episode 15, for example, but it was the best they were able to do in its entirety. Many moments had a very good and above average graphic, which made me happy from the beginning. In addition, the songs again are one of the strongest points of the franchise. The opening was very good for the situations that the anime was in with the time, besides the endings were absurdly good. Irregular Entropy and God's Syndrome are songs that will mark me forever, because in addition to adding well to the message that Higurashi wants to convey, he promoted a great artistic style in the images that composed them throughout the show. The plot? As already said, he was creative, innovative and brought a different posture. It was a perfection made by the show's screenwriter, who knew how to take advantage of many of Higurashi's details, in addition to his references to the old one and the game, which are huge. The director was also impeccable at many times (episode 16 was, for me, the best of all anime in 2020, easily). The franchise can surely celebrate with the result obtained. When They Cry and 07th Expansion must be happy.
Many are wondering if Higurashi Gou can continue with a sequel. I feel like yes. At times, the show has convinced itself that it has more to show. It's not like everything that happened was empty, there are already 3 other seasons that show that clearly. But it would be great to see other strands and attempts in history, to continue the series seriously. Particularly, Hinamizawa has a lot of content to be explored, that is a fact. So, continuing with a few more episodes and a new sequence would bring new chances and adaptations to the show as a whole.
(And look what a surprise, before sending the review, Higurashi will have a sequence confirmed by Funimation.)
Finally, if you've made it this far, you should realize that it's not just any anime. Higurashi marked generations (me too) and broke many paradigms of horror and suspense, something that has not been seen for a long time. 2020 was a difficult year, the anime obviously suffered from the bad reception of many fans and newcomers with the show. I must say, it is normal and I respect the position of these people. Nobody imagined that these more controversial versions and changes in history would be chosen by Kawaguchi. However, I loved everything that was proposed. Higurashi has entered my favorites because of this season, which, for me, is nothing short of great. I really hope for a possible reinterpretation of people with the show, in fact, we are talking about a unique and exclusive content, the beloved of Ryukishi07, a little commented masterpiece. Congratulations to everyone who pledged to make this anime. Congratulations to Passione, for taking such a good title and continuing with great originality. To those who didn't watch the first few seasons, I highly recommend watching it, if it pleased you. You will certainly have no regrets about this.
NIPPAH <3
SingleH
To turn a remake into a failure, you simply have to make it worse than the original, and to turn a sequel into a failure, you have to make it contribute nothing of value to and be so significantly worse than its predecessors that watching it actually dilutes the quality of the entire series as a whole. In an effort to be simultaneously accessible to newcomers and satisfying to long time fans, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou tries to be a remake and a sequel at the same time, but it manages to only have the failures of both, so the resulting mess shouldhardly pander to either demographic at all. While I’m not going to spoil anything specific, it's worth mentioning this show begins exactly where season one does, but it also immediately exposes secrets from season two before finishing a single arc or even establishing the fact this series is a time loop, thus it dismantles everything good about the original mystery by revealing what's inside the mystery box before you even knew it was there. Newcomers won’t appreciate or even comprehend the significance of certain knowledge without fully understanding the time loop and will also fail to recognize principle characters when so much focus is being shifted to those who shouldn't even be introduced yet, and fans of the original will be confused as to why any of this is appearing so soon and in such a jumbled fashion. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou consistently miscalculates how it plans to cohesively rearrange major fixtures of the plot so often, it fails to even feel like the same story any longer.
Before I even criticize the writing in depth, however, I first must decry the aspect of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou which turned me off to it even before fully comprehending its horrendous narrative structure and other fundamental problems: and that is its art style. Studio Deen has been well known in all the wrong ways for all the right reasons for the last twenty five years, and the original Higurashi no Naku Koro ni was no exception to their sometimes disastrous animation production values. That said, as much as the community wants to make memes out of awkward looking screenshots, the scratchy hand-drawn look of Deen’s linework combined with the simple colors and thick retro shadows Chiaki Kon used to juggle the show’s two very different tones made the general atmosphere feel extremely artful and visually cohesive, and when it came to the true horror and gore, the disregard for the anatomical integrity of the character art really did contribute to the demented feeling of the already shocking scenarios. The animation quality of Studio Passione’s Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou is consistently and clearly higher than that of the original Deen projects, but the actual art design and visual style is inarguably uninspired, and in my own personal opinion, just downright ugly. Everything looks so uncannily shiny and clean despite the naturalistic setting of Hinamizawa, and the glossy, digital coloration on all the character art just makes everyone look inhuman. It’s impossibly unimmersive.
It’s almost a shame the original voice cast did such a good job reprising their roles, because the writing is so dull, it turned a thriller into a slog. While season two definitely slowed down to unpack the mystery and finally work towards a solution to stop the loop and save the day, season one was absolutely nail-biting, fiercely memorable, and filled to the brim with clues and hints season two would eventually come around to piece together. Every episode had it’s own twists and turns, and even some of the dialogue found in the saccharine scenes at the beginning of each loop was meant to imply something important to the plot, and this tight script never failed to keep you so far on the edge of your seat, you’d nearly fall off when the excitement went up to eleven. However, this ability to remain engaging throughout has been entirely lost. The same meandering conversations and pandering diversions from the story at hand which are so common in anime nowadays have now penetrated a franchise as famously intoxicating as this one, and the resulting show is honestly boring to sit through. The worst part of it all, though, is the caveat of expanded universe. It turns out a lot of the alterations that make no sense even to those who’ve seen the original are actually elements from the Higurashi AND Umineko visual novels, so if you want the full experience, you have to venture outside the franchise and outside the entire god damn medium of animation which you came to enjoy in the first place to do so.
Being the cynical bitch I am, my original conception of this project was one of pure skepticism and dismissal upon first seeing the key visual with Reina’s new generic moe design. If anything, I figured they were just bringing the series back to milk it for the gore and call it a day, but they didn’t even deliver on that. The death scenes are paltry when compared to the legendary originals, and I think it all just comes down to a misguided vision for what the series was or, frankly, just bad directing. To even do the whole remake-but-also-a-sequel thing at all, they had to make the first episode essentially a one-to-one copy of the original to mislead everyone into thinking they were starting from narrative scratch, and even though the show slowly but surely crashes and burns, I think this was a good decision to begin with because it gives the audience a perfect and immediate opportunity to directly compare the two iterations. Say what you will about Chiaki Kon as a creative, and say what you will about Studio Deen as a production company, but you simply must recognize how well the original team captured the foreboding ambiance 07th Expansion manifests within the core of all their works, and you also must appreciate how electrifying the tension was in Kon’s sporadic direction, sporadic direction which itself demonstrated how expertly she was able to capture Ryukishi’s whiplashing tone shifts. Basically, it’s a matter of artistic inspiration, and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou has absolutely none.
Thank you for reading.
Kaizoku-Otaku
If you stumbled upon this article because you're curious about Higurashi and think you can start from here. This is the place for you. Don't worry. I won't include any spoilers at all. Now let me tell you, this is not a remake, a reboot, a spin-off, or any of that. It's a bonafide sequel. Whoever told you otherwise is a liar and should be ashamed of themselves. When it comes to the haters. Are there what seems to be what you call plotholes, or simply that things don't make sense? What did you expect? If you have watched the prequel and not wandered intoGou just cause, you'd know these things. I want to say I am honestly disappointed in those who dare call themselves fans of the visual novel. Did you even realize that Gou is by far the most consistent Higurashi to date that follows the style of the visual novel to the teeth and Ryukishi's writing? It's answering questions that only true fans are aware of from the prequel, expanding on topics hinted at in Higurashi, all the while establishing a proper connection to Umineko and even the newly WTC (When They Cry) visual novel Ciconia. On top of all that, while building upon the finer details from previous Higurashi. It's giving us a new story that still manages to retain the mysterious and other aspects we love from Higurashi. In other words, if you are a Ryukishi07 enthusiast. It doesn't get any better than this.
I have seen all kinds of nonsensical reasons to justify the hate. If you are talking about production being a hit or miss or other inconsistencies. I get where you're coming from, even if I don't entirely agree, but having seen all of Higurashi, followed by Gou. All this should have at least told you from a writing point of view that Ryukishi's the kind of writer that likes to confuzzle the audience, make them feel utterly lost, give them a reason to use the mind. Hence leave enough evidence and clues to give them a crack at solving the puzzle pieces. The WTC franchise has always been the kind of story where you have to go through the entire story to genuinely appreciate it because it's designed that way. We only got parts of the pages in the book, but many are still missing, though it will be filled by Sotsu when it rolls around 2021 07/07. Bless you, for that reference, Ryukishi07. Higurashi Gou is first and foremost a sequel. In which case, it means we got five seasons of Higurashi (Rei and Sotsu included). I cannot even begin to express my happiness at the thought of that. Ryukishi is known to write his story in a way where each work influences the other, making the experience richer and even savourier. Hence, reading another work from WTC might give you a completely new perception of what Higurashi as a whole is about.
It might make things even easier to follow or hard, depending on how you take it. Regardless, if you're done with Higurashi, I highly suggest checking out Umineko's visual novel or the manga (not the awful anime adaptation). Another masterpiece by the hands of Ryukishi. It'll definitely clear your mind and give you a completely new comprehension. Let me throw this out there the "origin of miracles" and the "origin of certainty." If you've read Umineko already, then you should know what I am hinting at here. I won't include direct spoilers as I want everyone the joy of figuring it out for themselves. After all, part of the fun about any entries of WTC (When They Cry) is being able to predict and theorize to your heart's content. Oh, not to mention witnessing how completely off the mark you are when your ideas fall flat as Ryukishi sneers at you. I will admit it was not cool of Ryukishi to introduce Gou as a remake or a reboot. That even the newcomers can watch it. Considering it spoils major chunks of Higurashi in the second episode. In contrast, in the first episode, things are not as clear. Sadly, not everyone knows that Ryukishi is a major troll that lies as naturally as he breathes. But you have to be lying to me if you said nothing felt off by the second episode. It's true Higurashi is meant to give you a sense of feeling lost, things not making sense, but Gou took that to another level. If you watched it without having seen previous installments, you could tell it was clearly not friendly to newcomers even for a bit, suggesting it might've been a sequel, which it happened to be.
There's no denying the new art's more lighthearted than the previous Higurashi, which might ruin the atmospheric tone for some. In my case, I love it. Why? Because it's the most faithful style to the visual novel, we've received yet. I adore the good old art-style from the Deen adaptation, too, but when it comes to expressions and comedy, it hits far stronger with this new style. The characters have never been so expressive without looking all messy and off-modeled, which is a recurring issue in the Deen version. Even voice-acting has been absolutely top-notch and cleaner, as you would expect with upgraded software and hardware. No, the production and direction are not perfect, but would you seriously call it terrible? Not even close. I have nothing but praise for Akio Watanabe's gorgeous and rich art-style and Keiichiro Kawaguchi's strong direction, which never made me wonder if I was watching anything but Higurashi. One specific episode was a genuine masterpiece, from the direction to the voice acting, to the shot composition, to the way the colors were used to emphasize the severity of the situation. Oh, let's not forget about the gore and the sound effects, which make you so uncomfortable that you have to turn away or cover your eyes. It was gruesome, but it also illustrated the unstable mind of a certain someone.
And Most of the few animation inconsistencies here and there can easily be fixed in the BD release. Studio Passione didn't even shy away from gore by giving us an early release of few uncensored episodes. Sadly, haters somehow found a way to insult it even that, failing to notice how good the effects, the tone, and brutality were. Trust me, this was gore without any limitations whatsoever. I was cringing like mad, had to even cover my eyes since it was truly a visceral spectacle. Don't get me wrong here. I loved it, even if it made me hold onto my gut as my life counted on it. Gou also got a manga adaptation that was released at the same time as the anime. It includes more details that anime cut out. The art-style of Tomose Akase is absolutely gorgeous, as is the execution of the tone and paneling. Think of the manga as a supplementary to the anime. It's amazing so far. Chapter comes out on a bi-monthly basis.
Did you know Higurashi has always been more of a mystery than a horror story, but not many seem to not understand that? Sure, the first part clearly had lots of jumpscares and other terrifying moments that made you jump out of your seat. But Higurashi always has been a circle of tragedies with a big dash of mystery to make you feel lost, question things, and so on. The unfamiliarity of Hinamizawa and the things going on there had us under the influence of paranoia. But at the end of the road, we got our answers, and we knew where and how to connect the dots. In Gou's case, it's trying to sell itself even more as a tragedy than horror. That might be why you don't feel as frightened, but you're straight out lying if you said you're not feeling lost either. An example of this is the iconic main theme of Higurashi. The original version has a more scary and paranoid vibe, while the Gou version sounds sad and emanates a feeling of loss and suffering. In other words, tragedy. Hopefully, you see the point I am trying to make here. Gou is a completely new take on our beloved Higurashi without losing key elements of the prequel. On another note, the soundtrack in Higurashi Gou is phenomenal and nails its relevant themes Gou is trying to showcase. We had Asaka on the opening, blessing us with a bopper track. Ayane returned again with more striking and beautiful tunes. Mind you, both songs include heavy symbolism, foreshadowing, context. Even the dialogue is super important. You can tell Ryukishi was there with Passion supporting them and instructing them as clearly, his fingerprints are everywhere.
Yes, I loved Higurashi Gou as if it was not obvious already, plus evidently, I am biased with it, but that's fine. I am not forcing you to take things I am writing her for granted. If I can offer you a new perspective and give you some value, then that's enough for me. I don't like seeing one of my favorite writers being insulted when haters aren't even able to provide logical reasoning to support their rant. So here I will state who Higurashi and WTC franchise as a whole is truly meant for. Are you on the lookout for a puzzle that might seem hazy not make sense at first, but gradually as the pieces get revealed, it falls in places? Do you love the idea of been giving the room to theorize and predict events? Then there you go. It's also worth noting, you need to patient, have your brain on at all times, be open-minded, able to think outside of the box. Higurashi is not meant for your average watcher or reader. What's so good about Higurashi? It's the fact Ryukishi utilizes details from his enormous WTC collection to build upon and expand the story further. Plus, he somehow makes things always connect when it seems impossible and does a wonderful job of explaining it. He writes the works to also gives out a very meaningful and emotional message that is relevant in the current day and even the past. If you are curious about more of those takes, I suggest reading my first Higurashi review, which also includes no spoilers and delves into characters, among other things. You can find it on my Anilist. I mainly wanted this review to show you why Gou was always meant to be a thing, should you watch it and dispel some of the hate it's been received by others.
In any case, Higurashi Gou is my favorite anime of the 2021 Spring season, and with Sotsu right around the corner. This new installment of Higurashi most likely will be my AOTY of 2021. My hats off to Ryukishi-sensei and the entirety staff off Passione. They killed it. If you have not already started Higurashi. I highly recommend it. Whether it be the superior visual novel, solid manga adaptation, or the a-okay but not even close to terrible anime. Sure, it's low-cost, but Deen nailed the atmospheric tone, even if many details from the manga and especially the visual novel got cut out. It's completely worth your time and a good way to dip your toes into WTC verse, even if it's not the best way and definite way to experience Higurashi. I didn't include any spoilers since Gou is so fragile that slipping some can ruin it completely. I want everyone to watch Higurashi and the second part of Higurashi, starting with Gou, ending with Sotsu. As blind as possible, you don't want to ruin this unique gem's once-in-a-lifetime experience. By the subtext, hints, even the writing, it's clear a lot of time and effort went into writing Gou. If you go ahead and reread Higurashi, you could see that it was even planned.
It should be noted, my score encompasses my enjoyment and the faith I have in Ryukishi when everything is complete, that's why it's already so high. Despite so, I also had moments where I was not entirely on board and failed to understand things in Gou, but in the last two arcs, I was completely absorbed into the story. I should've expected as much since I was lost during the very first Higurashi. Still, I was addicted the deeper I went into it. It tells me on a new rewatch, I will be able to appreciate it far more since now some key things do make sense. We know whodunnit, whydunnit, howdunnit, but clearly, there is a lot more story to tell. We have some of the keys to grasp certain details and comprehend them, even if the puzzle got holes left to fill. That's what makes Ryukishi such a brilliant writer since you know it's all intentional. There are hints of the events of Gou in the prequel even before it was a thing. You'd most likely only realize it first now since your perception will once again increase, alongside your passion for WTC. After all, this franchise is the kind of story that revisiting would be much more rewarding than the first time. Plus, reading other WTC works will again influence your feelings about other products from the WTC franchise.
At last, I want you to know Higurashi Gou (karma) is playing out like Kai because it answers parts of the questions but leaves the rest for a sequel. You might be confused about what's going on, but this will clearly be answered in Sotsu. All your worries will be laid to rest. The anime adaptation of Kai had two answers arc, so does Gou. But like prequel Higurashi, we might have eight arcs in total. Four of which are questions and the remeaning being the answers. In other words, Sotsu is the answer to all our questions. Plus, it will be the graduation, the ultimate closure to the whole Higurashi franchise. It's been going for over 20+ years, but Ryukishi can finally complete the whole puzzle at last. This is again hinting at Higurashi Gou always being planned. Don't even get me started on how Gou might be the segue into the events of Ciconia. If my words were able to pique your curiosity even slightly, take this chance to dip your toes in WTC, starting with Higurashi. Welcome to Hinamiazwa.
Stark700
Death, taxes, and…reviving older franchises? Higurashi isn’t some ancient artifact but it’s been nearly 15 years since its TV anime debut. Higurashi is destined to get a new anime series and is here to make a statement. The new Higurashi takes place 13 years since the last proper Higurashi anime. Originally, viewers thought the new show was a remake but soon realized that it’s actually an entirely new story. How about that? A new Higurashi with mystery thriller themes that fans have been anticipated for after all these years. Even for new fans, Higurashi demonstrates its ability to tell a suspenseful story through its complex charactersand themes. Do you want to relive the Higurashi experience again?
To quite frank, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou has been somewhat of a niche show although it is popular among the visual novel community. It has even recently gained traction with its games on Steam and other gaming platforms. The anime had been planned out as a 2-cour (24 episodes) although was delayed for a full season. Helmed by studio Passione, you’ll quickly notice the visual change, especially the character designs. It’s been modified to fit more with more modern standards although the script is still handled by the one and only, Ryukishi07.
Yes, it’s a brand new story so to get the obvious of the way, can you watch this show without any knowledge of the franchise? The answer is both yes and no. While it does offer a new story experience, some of the recurring plot elements would be more enjoyable if you’ve seen the previous series. The new show is divided into 5 different arcs each telling a different story although with recurring elements. We start off with the first episode reintroducing the familiar cast including the iconic Ryuugu Rena. From this arc, we learn of the Curse of Oyashiro, a prominent recurring element of the overall franchise. We also learn of suspicious circumstances of mysterious deaths and disappearances in the fictional village Hinamizawa. From this arc, viewers will experience the darker secrets of the village and how each character roles is played. There’s also memorable moments such as Rena’s infamous door scene, her iconic ‘usoda!”, or Rika’s signature miko performances. To be honest, watching this new arc felt no less different than the old Higurashi. We have the familiar mood of a normal day that takes a 180 degree turn as unsettling secrets are revealed. Furthermore, it all leads to a climatic showdown complete with blood and gore. It’s the Higurashi way of selling its product and hits the right marks with what it does.
Following the sinister events of the first arc, we enter the Watanagashi-hen arc that features the prominent presence of Sonoaki Shion. In this arc, Shion is featured as an important character and plays an important role along with main protagonist Keiichi. The two develop a closer bond than ever although gets more and more complex as startling revelations begins to unravel itself. There’s also more characterization on Shion herself. In fact, it’s safe to say that Higurashi is well known for showing different sides of the main cast. Some characters desperately tries to hide their façade on the outside. For Shion’s case, she displays a level of vulnerability. And of course, you can bet that mystery plays a deep role again with the Oyashiro curse.
Unfortunately for some characters, they can’t seem to escape fate or the reality of abuse. Hojou Satoko is one such example as she is victim of abuse at the hands of her own uncle. In later chapters of the season, we see how mentally broken she is due to the effects. It’s a dark reality that highlights the sensitivity of the show. Given Satoko’s age, she’s the victim of child abuse and for someone so young, experiencing trauma will likely have life-long consequences. Luckily, she has friends and they lend a willing hand to help. Keiichi in particular plays a prominent role to try and bring Satoko out of the darkness.
By the time you’ve reached over half of the show and into the fourth arc, you’d have a general overall impression of this new season, right? Well, not entirely especially with how Rika’s motivation to change fate. In fact, fate itself seems to be an important theme of the show as characters try to fight against it, namely Keiichi in previous arcs. In the Nekodamashi-hen arc, we also find out Hanyuu’s role in relation to the supernatural and Rika’s connection to her. I won’t spoil it but do expect to see significant events that impact the Higurahshi franchise. In the final few episodes, there is even an entity with influence throughout the entire series. It’s especially important with everything that connects the season together and to see how far one entity goes to antagonize our beloved main cast.
Higurashi is an anime with psychological and thriller elements that tells a bold story with each arc. Who would’ve thought there’s also moments for comedy? If you’re a new fan of the show, do be prepared for lighthearted moments in the form of character chemistry. Keiichi is the frequent target of jokes as the girls loves to make fun of him. Whether it’s simple card games or putting on a lewd outfit (thanks Shion), there’s room for laughs this season. But make no mistake, Higurashi didn’t make its return to humor the audience. It came back to make a statement and that is to sell horror, thriller, and psychological contents. There’s blood, gore, and psychological breakdowns. Most of this is expressed through the human reactions of the cast, sometimes with extreme level of insanity. I’m sure older fans are also pleased to see old characteristics of the cast return such as Rena and Rika. I mean, who can ever forget Rika's adorable “nipah”?
And it takes a talented crew to portray the roles of the characters. I give praise especially to Rika’s VA this season for demonstrating the ability to play such a young child but also being able to quickly adapt into a more mature voice. The soundtrack and music also adds more suspense to the overall vibe of the show, something that Higurashi is infamous for doing. I sure hope you get used to the sound of cicadas because there’s plenty where that comes from.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou may feel overwhelming at first but with each episode, it’s important to know what the anime wants you to experience. Do you want to be surprised by the plot revelations or are you interested in seeing character development? It’s at some point in the series where you need to decide on how to approach this new season. To be quite honest, Higurashi is still mostly targeted a niche audience. And if you decide to be part of that audience, you’re in for a treat.
ESER10
When this was announced, most people assumed it would be some sort of remake. I would have liked that to be honest. But this is actually a sequel, which kinda makes things…. Not work as well. Long story short, I enjoyed this a bit, but there are some big issues that would make me tell you to avoid watching this if you are a fan of the Higurashi series, since this may ultimately ruin it for you. Seeing as I'm telling you it's a sequel, I'm hoping anyone that hasn't watched the original will stop reading by now (I do recommend you to watch the originalif you want to watch a really good horror series).
So we all know how this series works, so if I'm telling you this is a sequel, yet it was being confused for a remake, we can all figure out what happened. For one reason or another, Rika is going through these loops again (this is made clear very early on, and is as much as I will outright 'spoil', don't worry). As I said before, I still enjoyed it a bit for what it was. Being able to enjoy higurashi again was nice for a bit. But why? Why is this happening? How was this able to happen? We had a pretty good resolution to the story, and forcing it to happen again doesn't really make sense to me. I will say, the actual story this time (which more or less starts 2/3 into the season) is different to before. However, I also feel as though it ruined many of the characters. As an addition to the series, this doesn't work too well. It only really ruins the series. If this would have actually just been a remake, it would have been nice. Bit unnecessary, but still nice. Instead we have a weird mix of sort of remake and sort of sequel for the first two-thirds of the show, and then an odd choice of actual outright "sequel" material for the last third.
So should you watch this? Well… Maybe? But probably not. Though I was able to enjoy the beginning of it for 'nostalgia' (I've only been watching anime for 2 years but still), if you want to go through some nostalgia, then just rewatch the original series. This doesn't seem to provide any actual benefit, and just ruins certain characters. Don't get me wrong though, if you don't completely mind, you may be able to think of this as an alternative path (that still requires knowledge of the originals), and this could provide some decent entertainment, as I got. But realistically, this is probably something to pass on.
IceCreamScene
"It’s not that hard to write a sequel, expand on characters and story in meaningful ways, and try to make it as good or better than the original. For most people, the standard was the original Deen anime from 2006-2007, and for a sequel to not even begin to reach the quality of that, let alone the original VN, is… well… maybe it just shouldn’t have been made in the first place. Gou is unique in that, if you’ve consumed any Higurashi content before it, it will actively hinder your experience while watching it. Yes, you will have a worse time watching a sequel if you'vealready watched the original. I am not joking. A massive reason for this is the fact that half of Higurashi Gou is glorified recap; the first three arcs are adapted straight from the 2002 VN with detailed differences and a changed conclusion to serve the new narrative. This is why, if you’ve consumed Higurashi in any shape or form before this, it’ll likely bore you half to death. The episodes add absolutely nothing of value to the characters and even trivialize their arc and development from the original, making them somehow less of a character. These arcs only exist to serve the new narrative and to make sure newcomers aren’t too confused… which is so… completely backward.
Promotional material is mostly harmless; it’s literally just advertising, and that’s what it should be. I can’t decide whether I love the trailer for Gou or detest it. On one hand, it was a decently funny bait-and-switch, advertising the show as a remake of a beloved VN to then be revealed as a sequel in episode 2, and on the other hand, it would’ve been much better as a remake. This isn’t even mentioning the swarm of first-timers to the series starting off with Gou, partially due to the fact that the original Higurashi has become rather hard to watch legally. The original Higurashi Deen anime was… good, I guess, but to say it was totally faithful to the original and used its time wisely is just wrong. I was so hyped for a remake because of this, so you can imagine my dismay when I found out it wasn’t.
Shock factor in place of depth and horror.
If you’ve ever seen the original, I should hope that you came to the conclusion that the “horror” of it came from the artistically crafted plot and impactful death scenes. Taking the beginning of the original VN as an example, it starts with an ambiguous, repetitive bashing sound over Keiichi’s inner monologue as he commits an atrocity we have yet to see. It’s insightful, it’s mysterious, and most of all, it’s impactful. Then we come to Gou, which throws all meaning out the window and replaces it with unsettling images and sounds. Sure, it’s more in line with the traditional idea of “horror = scary,” but it’s such a poor choice considering the themes of the original. I’m not even saying it did the unsettling images and sounds particularly well either; they’re not thought out or even scary, really. Most of the death scenes result in the entire room they're in being absolutely covered in blood, no matter what weapon they’re using, and even ignoring the blood, everything from the characters to the animation falls in line with your typical slasher, rather than the psychological horror it’s supposed to be. And that’s the one thing anime does incredibly poorly; slashers succeed in scaring their audience due to it being live action and therefore relatable to an extent. Anime can’t do that, for obvious reasons.
It’s just not scary. In any sense of the word.
I honestly feel bad for the voice actors, who continuously put up a stellar performance no matter the quality of the Higurashi content they’re featured in. They’re one of the shining stars that I got from scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of compliments to give the show. It’s astonishing how they can put up this good of a performance even after 14 years of voice acting for the franchise, and I have endless praise for all of them. Though when it comes to the new coat of paint the sequel got, I’m not so kind. I really, really thought about this, and I prefer the original art and animation. Intentional or not, the bad art and questionable animation definitively set a tone that matched the narrative of the show. Gou’s just feels so bland and basic; it doesn’t change to match specific tones presented by the plot, nor is it good (This does NOT include the EDs, which were amazing). It’s “good,” don’t get me wrong, but that’s all I can give it, and it links back into my argument about the lack of depth the show has, and I think the animation is a rather nit-picky example of that.
I’ve held off talking about the main issue of the first season so far, which is undoubtedly the story and pacing. The pacing is so incredibly inconsistent in the worst places. Take, for example, the first 13 episodes. I know I’ve mentioned them a lot, but I cannot stress enough just how bad they are, and I will keep talking about them until I’ve convinced you. As I said before: “half of Higurashi Gou is glorified recap.” This by itself isn’t a bad thing; however, none of it is cut. Despite being a sequel, it goes out of its way to explain almost every single thing we should already know by this point. And as a result, it just feels like you’re watching the original Deen anime again. This isn’t even contained to the first 13 episodes; parts of Sotsu and later in Gou we get Matsuribayashi-hen recap when plot should be taking place.
In a post-episode 13 world, the plot does actually happen, and the story makes meaningful progress for the first time in 4 hours. It arguably gets worse. The pacing goes into overdrive to the point where major character development is cut down into 4 episodes. It gets worse. Out of those 4 episodes, only roughly 2 of them (2 halves of 2 episodes put together and 1 good episode) have any meaning, while the others are relegated to padding and murder scenes. The murder scenes in particular could’ve been done well; all they would need to do is portray Rika’s active thought processes and mental deterioration in a meaningful way as she was being killed, but all they gave us were a few lines of dialogue from her each scene, most of them being completely irrelevant.
Funnily enough, Gou’s peak was when it was acting as it was meant to be from the start, a sequel to the original. The main characters get nice development, and the story that ended from the original is directly continued.
The second half of the arc is where the actual answers are revealed to us, and most importantly, we get to see one of the best characters from the original go down a dark spiral called bad writing. Some of the decisions made here are so bad and frankly disrespectful that I couldn’t take any of them seriously. It also clearly shows that the writer has no understanding of human emotion, with many events that should’ve at least put a strain on the main character's mental state just further fueled their questionable motivation for their even more questionable goal.
Now I have no doubt that the higher-ups at studio Passione had some influence in how this was written. Considering the general outside perspective of Higurashi, especially the anime, being along the lines of a murder-thriller with lots of gore and violence, they likely pushed the people actually making the show in that direction because they thought it would make a decent profit.
Overall, this show is really bad; I hate it from the bottom of my heart, and nothing is likely to change that.
Remember: It’s not canon if you don’t like it; just forget it existed and move on with your life. - Me, when this first aired."
IceBear310
I have watched the Higurashi anime, read Umineko, and recently just finished Ciconia Phase 1, I am a WTC fan. What I am not a fan of is this steaming pile of garbage called Higurashi Gou, all I want to say here is that if this was actually, for real, written by Ryukishi, maybe he should give up writing since it seems clear that he does not even understand his previous works, from characters (who are completely butchered, cut down to one-dimensional NPC's with one-liners, ignoring their complex personalities and motivations) to even the story and its themes (which are ignored for the sake of continuingthe story, nullifying everything our protagonists went through and fought for; long story short, it completely misses the point of its own story), and basic elements of a mystery show/novel, such as tension and suspense, which feel extremely poorly done compared to Studio Deen, nothing of what made the original good is in any way, shape, or form shown to have been understood in this "sequel", which R07 claimed to be a good starting point for new viewers (lol). I'm using "sequel" in quotations because this was a completely unnecessary anime. The original Higurashi ended just fine, we had a satisfying conclusion, so, I'd like to know, who asked for a new season with a plot this downright stupid compared to the source material? I'm not sure what counts as a spoiler and what doesn't so I won't get into it, but other reviews do a better job of summarizing the plot. The art is okay, not the best, not the worst (though it has a large amount of gore compared to Studio Deen's adaptation for absolutely no reason other than shock value) and the soundtrack is pretty mediocre, but these two are the least of Gou's problems.
I do not recommend this to fans of Higurashi, it feels like a very cheap cash grab, meant to just milk money out of the fans of this franchise (and a majority of fans seem happy with this blatant fact) and not something written out of passion and love for the When They Cry universe. I am however hoping to be proven wrong, at least story wise, with Sotsu, though I am not holding my breath for that.
Kinjo
Higurashi Gou was originally marketed as a remake that could be enjoyed by newcomers just as much as existing fans of the series. However, in its attempt to please both audiences, it fails at doing both. I would instead recommend that any newcomers go and watch the 2006 anime, and only watch this one if you have a strong desire to see everything you liked about the old one get ruined. The animation is not bad on its own. However, Higurashi is about horror and mystery, so the bright colors and moe character designs fit poorly here. There are also some scenes that could have hadbetter direction, such as the "uso da" scene (compared to the original 2006 anime). Other scenes made poor use of lighting (the inside of the shed in Watadamashi was too dark) or just left some things to be desired, but those are just minor nitpicks.
The soundtrack is actually lifted straight from the original anime, so it fit well with most scenes. Although I do enjoy the new OP and ED songs, I don't think they fit Higurashi as well as the original ones, but they are good to listen to on their own.
Now with the good parts out of the way, let's dive into the absolute trainwreck of its story.
The first episode is almost a shot for shot remake of the first episode of the original series, and if the rest of the season had played out this way, I think Gou would have done quite well. But starting with the second episode, there was an immediate divide in the fanbase, and that divide only became stronger with each passing episode. We learn that the story takes place AFTER the original had already ended. So it cannot be a remake -- it is truly a sequel taking place after the events of the original anime, which goes against all of the marketing material leading up to this moment. A major plot twist (from the SECOND season) of the original anime is also revealed immediately, which is fine if the story is a sequel. But again, this was advertised as a remake, and so now anyone who watches this anime BEFORE going back to the old one is going to have the original experience ruined.
The 2006 anime was a story of horror and mystery, so spoiling a major plot twist does significant damage to the overall experience. Unfortunately throughout the season, Gou continues to spoil these major plot elements, but without giving them enough context for anyone new to the series to actually appreciate (without going back to watch the old series). So Gou is not enjoyable because you don't know enough, but the original is no longer enjoyable because you know too much. That is primarily why I can't recommend any newcomers to watch this anime.
So how does Gou's story hold up to viewers who have seen the original anime? Well if you were expecting Gou to be anything like the original, you would be mistaken. There is not much horror or mystery here, and what is present is done so poorly that it can't ever be taken seriously -- a fight scene early on results in massive pools of blood that make JJBA's blood splatter look realistic. There are so many contrived plot conveniences that I can't even list them all here.
The first half of Gou is a pseudo retelling of each arc of the original anime, with a few subtle differences and then a big spin on each ending. Unfortunately, these twists make the arcs significantly worse from the viewer's perspective. The underlying themes and messages of each arc are destroyed in favor of creating a "mystery" to try and solve. Who is behind these changes, how are they doing it, and why? Although each arc was once an engaging and thrilling story in their own rights, for veteran fans it is mostly stuff we've seen before but with a worse ending. So the whole experience is painfully slow and boring to watch.
The second half of Gou is actually new content, but it completely ruins everything that came before it. It spends much of its time giving away the answers to the questions from the first half, but those answers are incredibly disappointing. They also contradict the themes of the original story: "trust your friends and work together to overcome fate". It's likely that was an intentional subversion of the theme (because Ryukishi likes to do that kind of thing) but I think it ruins what was otherwise an incredible story with a positive message. What exactly is the message of Gou? "Nothing is sacred?"
What really bothers me about all this is the fact that everything is so shallow. The first half only exists because of the second half, which doesn't really need to exist at all. The original story was resolved, but suddenly people start acting out of character to cause really petty drama which results in a re-telling of the original story... I just don't understand the point of the show. Who are we supposed to be cheering for? It seems like the point of the story is to find a way to end the story, which is kind of a silly story to start telling in the first place. It all seems like a waste of time.
I know that when Ryukishi wrote visual novels, the pacing was always terrible, but I guess this is that kind of thing in anime form. Scenes are unnecessarily long and most of the time show you things you already know. Much of Gou's time is spent re-telling parts of the original series, so it seems like not only a waste of time but also the animation studio's money and efforts. If you're going to have 24 episodes, there was plenty of content that could have been animated instead. Creating new arcs like the ones only briefly shown in Nekodamashi were more interesting and could have actually entertained both old and new fans. Or focus on the St. Lucia school and actually expand more on that setting and its characters. Almost anything could have been better than how Gou actually turned out.
The characters in the original story were all deeply expanded upon and relatable, but in Gou they are all extreme caricatures or just forgotten as the plot demands it. The antagonist's motivation is so childish and petty that it's not just unbelievable but also totally out of character. The way they go about causing mayhem is also horribly contrived, and while technically it is feasible for someone to pull off, it is massively out of character for that particular person. The culprit is not a human, but an exaggerated caricature who can plan and pull off crazy tricks like something out of Tom & Jerry.
It was also painfully obvious from the second episode that most of the story is only happening to "connect the dots" between Higurashi and Umineko. This was so obvious that I can't consider that to be any part of the mystery. It also seems like every aspect of the plot is trying to force this end result to happen, rather than organically occur based on the characters' original personalities. As much as I like Umineko, I don't think it was worth destroying Higurashi to make this happen. Or at least, it could have been done in a better way.
The final episode of the season resolves nothing, and we must wait for Sotsu (the next season) to air before we get an actual conclusion to this disaster of a story. I will still probably watch it because I want to see where this goes, with a small bit of hope that maybe this story can be saved somehow, but I'm not getting too excited, either.
Neo_oeN
Remember when a new Higurashi Anime was announced and advertised through PVs, CMs, and visuals, which looks pretty much a remake. Surprised it isn't, classic Ryukishi07 trolling his audience. Higurashi Naku Koro ni Gou is certainly a sequel as it presents the arcs in a similar structure that parallels with the earlier arcs from the original Higurashi. This could work as entry Higurashi for new watchers, but the problem is they showed supernatural powers or scenes earlier on, as opposed to Original Higurashi, which was only revealed later. Watching or reading earlier arcs of Higurashi, we're supposed to think as a mystery horror. But since supernaturalpowers were revealed earlier in Higurashi Gou, people will think through supernatural and real perspectives to deduce what is going on. The ending arc of this new Higurashi pretty much gives us the background of what is going on, why Rika is repeating the loops almost the same as her experiences back in the original Higurashi, even if she did something to prevent the tragedies. So if you feel like your not getting something new, bear with it and go watch it till the ending arc, there's something new there. I like the Higurashi series, so I hope this new entry to the Higurashi series will be worthwhile.
The studio working with this new Higurashi is studio Passione, which is known for animating ecchi shows like High School DxD Hero and Interspecies Ishuzoku Reviewers. Akio Watanabe did the character designs. He is known for the Monogatari and Grisaia series character designs. For me, I'm not used to its too moe design and shiny palette to the characters of Higurashi anime. The lighting is a hit and miss. Mostly a miss, when they do a dark scene. When it's dark, it's certainly dark, you can barely see, which to me is not a problem back in the original Higurashi anime.
The iconic Cicadas sounds are still present, it gives me a nostalgic feeling. As opposed to the original Higurashi or the prequel, Higurashi Gou has less of an eerie atmosphere and is more lenient to Slice of Life. It's not a bad thing, but if you're expecting more of a tense feeling similar to the Original Higurashi, you'll only get enough to shiver. The OP and ED are good in their way, they are upbeat but still gives a tense feeling, compare to Original Higurashi OP and ED, which are mellow and eerie.
Higurashi Naku Koro ni is one of those prime examples of anime that is successful horror anime done right. It could frighten you or at least give you a suspense feeling. Hopefully, the sequel will give us satisfying answer arcs and be as a successful piece of entertainment as its prequel.
JackDSF123
Sorry for my english, I'm Brazilian so... I'm not very accustomed to write in english, but I did my best. Also, this review may contain some minor spoilers, but I did my best to not spoil anything great. Oh man, I didn’t wanted to do the review that I’m about to do, but I feel compelled to do one as a longtime fan of the When They Cry series (both Higurashi and Umineko). Where should I start? Well, I'll start with what I think is perhaps the main reason for this low score. First of all, what is the central message, the main theme of the originalseries? Is the violence? The gore? The horror? Nope. The main theme of the original series has always been and always will be: friendship, trust, hope and a desperate struggle against a terrible fate. And now I’ll question: What is the central message of Higurashi Gou? Higurashi Gou (despite having a complexity even worthy of the When They Cry series) is a empty anime. It seems that Ryukishi07 didn’t know how to get the essence of his own work, because Higurashi Gou is anythig, except Higurashi. (He was so lost that he said the series was a "newcomer friendly", yeah of course, the 4th season of something will be very “newcomer friendly”, ONLY in your head Ryukishi...)
Second problem: What need was there for a sequel after Higurashi Rei? The story was already well closed with only 1 loose end that could be resolved in only 1 OVA. Still it was decided to do an unnecessary sequel that all it did was step on the legacy of the original. Practically nothing that made Higurashi a masterpiece is present in Gou.
These were just general problems, but there are more specific ones like: Many of the scenes that apparently do not make sense to an experienced fan of the series are explainable, except, for example, of Keiichi breaking down the prison door and Ooishi using cheat and unlocking infinite ammo. Another thing that doesn't make sense is the motivation of the main villain of Gou. While in the original the main villain had an excellent motivation to do what (s)he does, in Gou the motivation of the new villain is very, very weak.
Now that I got to this subject, let's talk about characters. And once again Ryukishi lost his touch (I'm starting to lose my faith in you man). The characters in Gou are nothing more than a shallow, stereotyped version of themselves. Let's look at the main characters:
Rena:
Original: Character with several emotional problems and internal discussions, and therefore, despite her cute exterior, she can be extremely unstable; it is very smart.
Gou: “kyuute mode” + bipolarity (as her internal conflicts are not shown).
Keiichi:
Original: An idiot, but with a good heart, determined to help his friends and not to stop fighting until the end to save them. He has his moments of intelligence.
Gou: An idiot, indecisive (always needs the attitude of some other character to take the initiative), dumb and shallow.
Rika:
Original: Extremely complex character and with attitudes and personality extremely compatible with everything she went through.
Gou: Complex character, but with extremely incompatible attitudes towards everything she went through.
Satoko:
Original: Interesting character, cute, emotionally strong after everything she went through, very attached to Keiichi, Shion and Rika.
Gou: Quite complex, but... traps everywhere, attitudes incompatible with what she went through, fanatic for Rika.
Mion:
Original: Epic character, she is the glue, the conscience of the group, the most reliable character, puts herself at risk without even thinking twice for the sake of her friends.
Gou: Character shallow and left out (there was only one moment that made us remember how important she is).
Shion:
Original: Very complex and well crafted character, one of the best characters in the series.
Gou: ????? Totally forgotten.
The direction of Higurashi Gou is also very lost, many of the moments of tension and horror have totally lost their impact (compare the scenes of the "usoda").
The art itself I really liked, but the direction fails so much in some scenes that end up turning suspense into involuntary comedy (hi Akasaka).
Good soundtrack, it's nowhere near the level of the VN or even Deen's adaptation, but the opening and ending songs are good.
Enjoyment: Would you enjoy yourself watching one of your favorite works being ruined? Yeah, me neither. I will now read the VN or the manga again to detox from Gou. Higurashi Gou doesn't exist (just like Umineko's anime), Higurashi's anime ends in Rei. Go watch Deen's adaptation, read the manga or VN (preferably the latter two), run away from Gou with all your might.
MidniteAndBeyond
This is a review of both Gou and Sotsu THIS IS A SEQUEL, NOT A REMAKE! WATCH THE ORIGINAL FIRST! OHHHHHHHH MYYYYYY GOOOOO- you know the rest. So ya, this may be a bit of a shock, but Higurashi has been in my Top 10 favorite anime series ever since I saw the original back in high school. I had NO idea what to expect from this new series and was really worried it might've just been another whatever after story like Rei and Kira were. But HOOOOOOO BOY, NOPE! THEY HAD A PLAN WITH THIS ONE! As soon as I started, I got completely locked backinto this world. I remembered how much I missed these characters. I remembered how brilliant this story was and how it was executed. This may sound crazy (especially coming from me) but I was actually questioning if they were holding back on showing too much violence on screen because we're in a new era and its a new demographic watching, so maybe they wanted to be a bit more abstract with what was shown to us.... NOPE! DON'T WORRY! ITS BLOODIER AND GOREYER THAN EVER BEFORE!
I'm completely in the dark on what lies within the visual novel/manga of this series. Was this anime plot completely new? Because I really wanna know what the pitch was for this series. Did the original creator always intend to take the story in this direction and at this time? Or was this a new idea that came later on after the original series had long since wrapped up? I can see people not being happy with where the story in this one went, and I'm still a bit mixed on it, myself. But one thing's for certain; Higurashi did its job in making me feel as scared and uncomfortable as humanly possible. Not just with the violence, but in all the fear paranoia that came with unearthing the truth and being mortified by what I found....
I don't know how else it could've ended, and the ending in general for something like this feels SUPER difficult to nail perfectly. I'm not 100% satisfied with it, but I can't think of a different ending without uprooting the entire story they were trying to tell. So I guess I'll try my best to make peace with it.
Higurashi is NOT for everyone and I completely get it. But its truly and sincerely some of the most fun I've ever had in any story I've ever experienced. It was a brilliant execution of adapting a multi-route visual novel, and done in a way that hasn't really been done before or since. Its writing remains brilliant all throughout and the acting is some of the best and most haunting I've ever heard. Also THANK GOD the entire original voice cast returns for this new show! At least in the Japanese version. That's a huge plus for me. If you need something spooky to sink your teeth into this Halloween season, I can't give you a higher recommendation than this series. There's truly nothing else like it.
10/10
robert788
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou (2020) People will run and defend this show like the last stand in a war but is it really worth it this time around? Honestly, this isn't bad for me because I had the wrong mindset of thinking it is a remake I did not. I took it as something on its own or as a new season in a newer format or whatever. Honestly, though I just cannot fathom the hype with the show in the first place, it just sucks with how dragged out it is and how silly and convenient many things are. As far as the storygoes that is what let it down. The first sequence was really interesting and well done and then from there it just went further downhill with more dragging out stories much longer than they needed to be. The final episode was good, I guess? It leads to further showing from July 2021 which is expected with how it ended but also a bit like why? It is just dull and dragged out.
The art I give credit to being a modern take on the old style and is nicely done and crisp throughout the most part of it.
The sound is pretty good too if not sometimes annoying with Rika's catchphrase making me want to skip it every time I hear it. The ED of the first part was really good I will say. General the soundtrack is pretty well done.
The characters obviously change a lot during this which is expected and it changes all the time and that is easy to follow. The characters however are just not all that interesting. They are developed but at the same time, I could barely tell you anything about anyone since they all have such vast personality differences. IF not for this village I honestly doubt they would be so close in a different setting. Also, the goddess is just so boring its ridiculous.
The show is just not very exciting considering the show should be. It should be a deep, complex and masterful story that the show could be but just isn't. It holds no right to say it comes from the original show at least that had substance behind it and you could really get into the show and its characters. Maybe I will watch the next part to see if my mind can be changed, though it probably won't be this year. Hopefully, unlike this season I won't find myself begging my body to fast forward.
3/10. Pretty generous considering.
ichihito
Spoiler-free review At first, I was somewhat happy to hear of this remake (sequel) but as said I was also scared of this from the experience of the first anime it looked too bright and from having a low studio but boy I was wrong this remake wasn't a remake at all It had an everlasting impression on me just like Kai did and after my problem with the first on, this one finally solved the flaws. Story: 8/10 The unraveling story was given to us by the same person who created the when they cry series that took everyone by out everyone by surprise adding this storywith its outstanding storyline and solving some minor plot holes from the first anime was made up for the people who don't have the time or don't want to read the visual novel or manga version.
Art: 10/10
It finally gave us something that wasn't meant to stand out from its name but from the hard work and effort given by Studio Passione with some references to Umineko fans. It also has almost perfected character designs following the pace of the original visual novel with better character designs and flawless outlines.
Sound: 9/10
The Music for both Op's and Ed's very well suit the animation and gives us minor clues without noticing it even if you try to find some, the sounds they use for every situation really suit it most well and also stand out with making it very noticeable picking up the pace of a certain situation making the mood perfect.
Characters: 8/10
Together back with its lovable and unforgettable cast, one of this season's flaws is the lack of the other characters and their roles in the story in the 2nd half of the story which lost the sole purpose of Higurashi Kai.
Enjoyment: 10/10
Watching this had me with a lot of feelings, some episodes were relaxing and fun and some also had scenes that kept you on the edge of your seat which made it very enjoyable as the show paces towards its climax
Overall: 9/10
Despite having a few flaws in terms of characters and plot differences this was still very admirable and enjoyable in a lot of aspects with its outwitting pacing that was certainly unforeseeable with the clues given piece by piece in each chapter, the masterful story, mystery unraveling, and outstanding voice acting skills were outstanding added to scenes that kept you at the edge of your seat.
PiedPiper_
Don't let the poor rating fool you! If you're a fan of higurashi, then go ahead and watch this I'm sure you wont be disappointed I will just clear out any misconceptions that surrounds this season THIS ISN'T A REMAKE. IT's without shadow of doubt SEQUEL TO THE ORIGINAL. Advice: If you're new DON'T watch this season. Watch the ORIGINAL HIGURASHI FIRST. If you have already finished the ORIGINAL, I still urge you to watch atleast the Higurashi 2nd Season. That will surely freshen you up on this season's Events.If you have come this far, I will try to keep my review short.
Story: Higurashi Gou keeps the original tone, gore ,twists and engaging storytelling.
But it doesn't stop there, but capitalize on it and strengthens some of the points
that might have been missing in the previous two season. If you want a story
that encapsulates the japanese folklores with their tradition. Then, surely you're in for a ride
Art: THe art for the previous two seasons despite scathing criticism
complemented the storyline and theme of higurashi. This season art is a step up for me.
it's crisp, bright and colorful with modern character designs while keeping the original's essence.
But make no mistake, the panoramas, village atmosphere and gore has been done
flawlessly which has been very rare in the modern anime.
Sound: Higurashi's OPs & EDs have always been my favorite, this season felt no different.
Specially art of ED theme was stupendous and it brought something fresh to the table.
As for voice acting, voice actors simply nailed there roles, here I wanna give credit to Satoko's seiyuu.
She literally gave life to Satoko. Her emotions and interaction with others felt ridiculously humane. (Bare in mind I hated Satoko in the Original).
There weren't many OSTs, but the background sounds e.g insect sounds, wind gusts, night time sounds mixed with bewitching scenaries
enhanced the countryside feel of the 80s.
Characters: All the characters are likable, cheery and have their own arcs dedicated to them. Higurashi's biggest
point is it's character driven story telling. You get to witness the story from the perspective of each character.
Which give further credence to why a certain character behaved in that sense.
This character driven story style has always been Higurashi's forte. It arguably is one of the best in the industry
Lastly, I can't stress this enough. Don't let the MAL rating fool you.
Many people came into this with the misconcepiton of REMAKE. Which it clearly isn't.
If you're Higurashi fan. I highly highly urge you to watch this season. It is without a shadow of a doubt worth every second of your time!
CLMF
Spoilers ish I guess people have already pointed out all the flaws with this show. It fails as a remake and a sequel. As a remake, the viewers receive at least half a season of pseudo remake episodes that resemble the original show. Except the needless brutal violence that is present in Gou actually made some sense and pushed the story forward in the original VN/anime. Nothing is ever made of them in this show except that Satoko is implied to be involved with all the messed up events happening. This is not the main problem for new watchers. New watchers will have no idea what thefuck is going on, with new/familiar faces being introduced at a whim and plot points leading nowhere.
The problem is, Higurashi fans have no idea what is going on either. The show undergoes a huge plot shift by episode 17 revolving around one character and her journey. So what was the point of the first 15 episodes other than to subvert expectations? Why is our main character/antagonist acting in such a way? What is the point of this story? At the end of the season, we have a jumbled mess of poor writing, a confusing plot, no character arcs, and a smiling Ryukishi07 haunting your dreams, the words just on the edge of his lips. "New watchers can enjoy this"
The art is decent though
Anglix
Really loved this continuation to the series. WARNING this is a SEQUEL not a REMAKE. You need to at least watch the original Higurashi anime from 2006/07 to understand it. Watching this serie first and then going back to the old ones will SPOIL and RUIN everything. You can also watch the Kira or Rei OVA's or the Kaku movie for more lore. And you should also read the Umineko manga to understand some new characters, references and situations. I partially understand why the low rating on this site because of all the confused people who dropped the anime. The Higurashi series is a mix ofvarious genres, but primary is on the MYSTERY genre as well as Umineko. People can get confused because it adds to the mix some horror, comedy, slice of life and at times some sci-fi, sobrenatural or magical stuff. It really is a mix of everything so I understand why people can get confused at first but you need to understand all the episodes leaves you with questions and you will be solving the puzzle and mystery if you really pay attention. At the end all mysteries are solved but you need to be patient.
Hedgie
Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou Third time's the charm, re-uploading this. Spoilers ahead. Hohoho! This anime...really didn't need this sequel. When the cicadas cry, oof. I am now wishing it wasn't part of the main-linear story now. This anime does work as a stand-alone sequel to the original. However, I highly recommend not letting this be your first entry in this long series. There are just too many references, subtle hints and call-backs to the original series. It’s just much more rewarding knowing the previous arcs and the whole story. The most distinctive thing about this sequel is the animation. So radiant and colorful for one’s eyes, youreally never want to look away. It just really fits when it comes to lightening up the atmosphere and comedic aspects of the anime. The problem is when it comes to the grueling and horror moments, it stays just that way. The lighting doesn’t dim down to match the tone or atmosphere, which makes it rather difficult to take seriously. Although they have more detailed facial expressions, I for one enjoy the new animation. However, I don’t enjoy the censorship and soft tone when it comes to murderous scenes. The opening for the show is also great, leaving so many hints of what’s to come, the opening's mood is what we need more in the anime.
When it comes to the characters, they're lacking in some aspects which is why I say this shouldn’t be one’s first entry. There’s a lack of important dialogue between the characters not providing many details or hints as if we should already know them. I hope it’s expanded upon when things continue to happen but as of now it doesn’t feel entry-level friendly.
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Spoilers.
Thus far, I did find it enjoyable, until its second half. It's really pulling at straws, hoping to grasp long term fans. Sometimes it's better off leaving a series finished rather than milking it. Now were stuck with Sakoto living groundhog's day, since she has Rika's ability, but for different reasons. Not adding more overall lore/story but just wanting things to stay the same when they were young.
We are literally just looping because someone doesn't want to grow up alongside and embrace change with Rika. Sakoto is not putting the effort to live up to academic standards and working hard in the all-girls school she studied so rigorously to enter just to follow in Rika's footsteps. I mean if you got her ability just why not loop, so you can do better academically by remembering test answers. Essentially, Satoko knows all the trauma Rika went through when she got her time loop power, but screw that. Furthermore, let's not reset to pass tests but reset to solve this suitcase code repeatedly until she gets it right, she's a sadist. No better than her uncle when you really think about emotional and physical abuse to Rika.
Marinate1016
There was a lot of controversy around what exactly Higurashi Gou was going into Fall 2020. Is it a sequel, reboot, remake, what? Ultimately, we found out after some misleading comments from the author that it’s a sequel. Therefore, I want to preface this review saying that Higurashi Gou requires at least some knowledge of previous Higurashi series to be fully appreciated. That said, Higurashi Gou represents an upgrade over the originals in almost every way for me. Passione did a great job of creating terrifying and chilling scenes, bringing beautiful art and generally great direction. What I particularly like more in this series compared tothe original is the focus on RIkka as opposed to Keichi. In the original series, Keichi is essentially the MC for large portions of the show, but I really don’t care for him. I find his personality to be bland and honestly almost nonexistent. He’s annoying, shallow and just not an interesting character. Rikka on the other hand, is what people THINK Subaru of Re:Zero is. Gou does a great job of hammering home her inner struggle and fight for a timeline in which everyone is happy. How broken and alone she is on this journey, etc. Seeing all the struggles she’s faced catapulted her into my top 10 MCs.
In addition to the focus on Rikka, I enjoyed the additional development Satoko gets. Satoko is essentially the MC for the final third of the show, and the development she gets in those final 4 eps is more than she got in 60 of the original. On top of addtional character development, I like the job Passione did with creating these seemingly tranquil and peaceful scenes, followed by horrific deaths and brutality. In general, Higurashi has prided itself on creating a sense of dread for audiences. For instance, you have a cute slice of life episode, but it never really feels happy because you just know something awful is around the corner waiting to happen. Deen was decent with it, but I think Gou does a masterful job of capturing that feeling.
From a technical aspect, I enjoyed the art of Gou much more than the original as well. The mono artstyle fits the series well and the colours, backgrounds, etc are all well done. In traditional Higurashi fashion, there’s a banger OP and ED as well as a great OST in general too.
In conclusion, Higurashi Gou is from start to end a mysterious and terrifying adventure that never ceases to be fun and I can’t recommend it enough for fans of the series. Higurashi Gou gets 9 cotton balls out of 10.
daved1113
Someone actually had the audacity to drag this series out of retirement only to murder the franchise in spectacular fashion. Everyone else in this section has pointed out many issues so I will explain the largest one here. Have you ever watched an oddly satisfying internet video? Maybe something being smoothed over and looking spectacularly shiny? And then Juuust before the best part...the finale where you see it complete...A person sticks their hand in there and destroys what was being smoothed over to troll you? That is the experience that Passione has worked so hard to give us with this abomination. This series spends 6 entire episodesgiving us the best possible resolution and then descends the show into madness with a deus ex machina event out of nowhere simply to piss off fans. It is contrived and nonsensical. Throwing all character development, tension release, and happiness that you may have acquired out the window and then proceeds to piss on it and slap your mother in the face while they are at it for good measure.
There is no silver lining. No lesson to be had. Imagine your favorite adventure show and right after they defeat the final boss some random minion from the first episode shows up with an ar15 and shoots every main character that you have come to know and love to death just before the group is about to victoriously walk into the sunset. I really thought they were going somewhere but nope. The story loses all sense after this moment.
So stupid that after I watched it I had to come one here and complain so that even if I save one person from being subjected to this torture I can feel like I stopped it.
Avoid at all costs. You have been warned.
if anyone involved in making this reads my review; please slap yourself and try harder next time you decide to work on an anime.
1/10
