Today's pick in the Daily Anime Pick-Series where I pick one anime each day that I think is worth watching is Higurashi no Naku Koro ni!
Before we get into the story of this anime I want to state that this anime is not suitable for those who can not tolerate extreme brutality. If you're not sure if you can then don't watch it. I really mean it. You can still read the rest of the article since it won't contain anything inappropriate.
This anime is about a small village called Hinamizawa and its cruel secret. The main protagonist is Keiichi Maebara who moves to this village to escape the hectic city life. He soon meets his new friends in the small school of the village. As he adapts to his new and seemingly peaceful life the Watanagashi Festival, meaning Cotton Drifting Festival, approaches. This festival is Hinamizawa's largest celebration of the year. It takes place on the third Sunday of June and its purpose is to give thanks and praise to the village's guardian god Oyashiro-sama. In ancient times this festival involved the sacrifice of a human being that would be publicly tortured using the tools in the Furude Shrine. This corpse would be thrown into the river symbolizing the drifting away of people's sins. But since this was deemed to be too cruel in modern times the practice changed. The human sacrifice was replaced by cotton that would used in a ritual and then sent out on the river as small cotton balls by the people of the village. Although the practice has changed every year on the day of this festival one person dies in a mysterious way while one other person vanishes. After finding out about this secret Keiichi starts to investigate this matter and learns that all of those previous death's are linked to his new friends. With this knowledge he steps into territory he wishes he never knew of.
The anime follows not your typical linear story progression. The story evolves until shortly after the festival within a few episodes and comes to a conclusion. Then the story starts all over again showing different paths of actions. I was very confused when I first watched it and I thought this would just be a way to cover different routes from the visual novel but as it turned out the resets are actually part of the story. I realized that when I hit the second part of the series. The first part was definitely interesting and unique but it kind of felt like watching different routes of the visual novel but then when I started watching the second part I was simply blown away. Everything came together. And speaking of the second part, the point of view switches from Keiichi to Rika, one of Keiichi's friends from school.
Since this anime was made in 2006 it isn't available in Full HD as you've probably guessed already but even if you dislike lower resolutions and the quality of older animes I highly suggest you still give it a shot. Besides the resolution the animations are nothing spectacular but aren't bad either. They are consistent throughout the anime and give this anime its unique style. The atmosphere is depending on the situation either very light or very heavy. This contrast enhances the experience the darker scenes deliver. Soundtrack wise you'll it find very fitting to the horror aspect of this anime. Just have a look at the two openings below and you'll see what I mean. Weird noises and strong dissonances give off a feeling of uncertainty as you would expect of an anime of this kind.
The anime's main story line consists out of two parts 50 episodes in total. The first part is Higurashi no Naku Koro ni with 26 episodes and the second part is Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai with 24 episodes. There are additional parts after that but they differ greatly from the first two so here they are considered to be side stories. Those parts that follow after Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai would be Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira. Additionally there are multiple specials which are listed below in the franchise category. Below you'll also find an opening, description and stats for each Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai. As for the pictures I had a hard time finding ones that don't show a bloody massacre since I want to keep this series readable for everyone but here they are. Don't let those mislead you this anime truly is the definition of brutal.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
Description
Keiichi Maebara has just moved to the quiet little village of Hinamizawa in the summer of 1983, and quickly becomes inseparable friends with schoolmates Rena Ryuuguu, Mion Sonozaki, Satoko Houjou, and Rika Furude. However, darkness lurks underneath the seemingly idyllic life they lead.
As the village prepares for its annual festival, Keiichi learns about the local legends surrounding it. To his horror, he discovers that there have been several murders and disappearances in the village in the recent years, and that they all seem to be connected to the festival and the village's patron god, Oyashiro. Keiichi tries to ask his new friends about these incidents, but they are suspiciously silent and refuse to give him the answers he needs. As more and more bizarre events occur, he wonders just what else his friends might be keeping from him, and if he can even trust them at all.
When madness and paranoia begin taking root in Keiichi's heart, he will stumble straight into the mysteries at work in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, a story that is told across multiple arcs.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Studios
Studio Deen
Genres
Mystery, Dementia, Horror, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller
Season & Length & Source
- Spring 2006 (Apr 5, 2006 to Sep 27, 2006)
- 26 Episodes
- Visual novel
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai
Description
In the small village of Hinamizawa, Rika Furude and her friends live together in relative harmony. Beneath this mask of peace, however, lies a hidden darkness, one that Rika understands all too well. In this eternal summer, she has been witness to unspeakable horrors. Every time the clock resets, Rika must try to find the villain behind these senseless deaths before tragedy strikes again. However, trying to decipher a mystery when only half the clues are present proves time and again to be disastrous, and each time she believes that things will change, she inevitably fails. As the annual festival approaches, Rika begins her descent from hope to despair in her struggle to break the chains of fate entangling them all.
[Written by MAL Rewrite]
Studios
Studio Deen
Genres
Mystery, Psychological, Supernatural, Thriller
Season & Length & Source
- Summer 2007 (Jul 6, 2007 to Dec 18, 2007)
- 26 Episodes
- Visual novel
Franchise
- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (Sequel)
- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei (OVA 1)
- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira (OVA 2)
- Umineko no Naku Koro ni (Alternative)
- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Special: Nekogoroshi-hen (Side story)
- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai Specials (Spin-off)
