[Anime] Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni

Seeing that the other thread was locked up by Blah, here's my attempt at promoting this series for great justice.



The story opens off with a really bizarre scene where someone is bludgeoning/chopping someone up and provides a very intriguing start and lays the foundation for the events that will transpire in Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni.

After the flashy, kaleidoscope introduction finishes, you're introduced to the main character: Keiichi Maehara (left), a kid who has just moved into the village of Hinamizawa and his next door neighbor: Rena Ryuguu (right).



Other characters in this series who quickly becomes friends with Keiichi include an upperclassman, Mion Sonozaki (left), and two underclassmen (right), Satoko (blonde hair) and Rena (blue hair)



Hinamizawa is located in a rural area, and looks like your run-of-the-mill quiet country village. Like most run-of-the-millcountry villages in horror/mystery flicks, Hinamizawa harbors a chilling secret. We get some signs of this when Keiichi meets with Tomitake, a freelance photographer who seems affable enough. However, when Keiichi makes a joke, Tomitake turns serious and he comments which hints that things may not be as they seem in Hinamizawa... something that occurred when the government tried to build a dam in the village.

When Keiichi brings the subject up with Mion, Mion denies that anything happened in the village aside from the townsfolk successfully preventing the construction of the dam which would have destroyed their homes. But there's a pause in her speech... suspicions are raised and the plot slowly thickens...

Aside from the serious plot moments, the first episode contains a lot of comic relief, shown in the scenes at school between Rena, Keiichi, and Mion. There's also the luncheon at the Furude Shrine, later on in the episode, but nothing hits the comedy home as much as the scene where Keiichi, Mion, Rena, Satoko, and Rika play a game of Jijinuki where the person who places first can do something to the person in last place. It's pretty easy to tell just how screwed Keiichi is going to be:



Thoughts after Episode 1: The animation and art style definitely aren't what I was expecting from a series described by ANN as a horror/mystery flick since everything seems so cute and chibi-ish. Despite the quality of the animation/artwork, the premise to the story is most excellent and one that I hope can sustain itself through its entire run-time. The story, combined with a soundtrack by Kenji Kawai makes this series extremely promising, and one that must be watched. Besides, I haven't had a good horror series to watch in quite some time so this should suffice that thirst.

Right now, I'm watching Triad's subs and they're pretty reliable as far as subbing goes. I'll probably make more comments as I see more beyond just the first episode.

Torrent Links
Episode 1
Episode 2
Episode 3

Jam it back in, in the dark.

About time there's a thread for this, it's arguably the best show this season.

The first 4 episodes have been seriously creepy. And ep4 had some of the most fucked up stuff i've seen so early in a show. I haven't checked ep 5 RAW yet, but it either goes to a flashback or even "groundhog day" (keep on restarting till he gets it right). It would make sense to do that.

The opening and ending videos are some of the best this season.

How ya doing, buddy?

Hmmm... haven't see it yet, but from hearing the review by zzero, it sounds good ^ ^

Might give this a go, thanks for sharing the light on this series!

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I watched the first four episodes yesterday...

Spoiler:

All of the main cast members are dead. I was laughing my ass off at the end of episode four. Seriously, this is freaking awesome. If they do a groundhog day i.e. game is over, restart play this is going to be pretty sweet. Also, it'll be great if they can continue to kill of the characters as easily as they did.

Music by Kenji Kawai? This series is perfect now.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

Originally Posted by AcerBandit

Music by Kenji Kawai? This series is perfect now.

That name caught my eye, okay, it's on the "100% Sure I'll check it out" list. His music rarely never disappoints.

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This is an amazing piece of madness, since the design for characters are customly meant for anything except what goes on in this place.
Truly I find it up to now quite enjoyable, plus the opening and ending songs are a perfect fit.
I have a question though, after watching the fifth.

Spoiler:

So will the story repeat itself from different angles/perspectives, or will different cases with the same characters take place?

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

As far as I know, the story will take it from different angles and reveal clues slowly. The differences will primarily be the backdrop which will then lead up to the events that will transpire at the festival and subsequently to some sort of tragedy like what happened at the end of episode 4. Think of it as like a video game where you start over and over and because of some decision you make, it leads to a totally different outcome.

It's a fun mystery to be sure and that alone has kept me hooked to the series. The creepout factor is also very nicely done.

FELIPE NO

HOLY SHIT!!! Did anyone watch episode 8 of this series yet? That's some of the most messed up scenes I've seen in quite some time. I don't think I could've asked for a better finale.

Spoiler:

The confession scene where Mion goes and admits everything was pretty well done. However, the highlight was definitely the torture room scene where you see:

1) Shion (could it actually be Mion?) locked up in the cell, her nerves just completely shot and you see that she's lost her mind and going nuts.
2) Keiichi straped to a board with Mion standing over him and basically declaring flat-out that she's going to hammer 15 nails in each of his hands; his fingers and joints.

Craziness and mental instability have never been better-presented with a good dose of creepiness and suspense thrown in, especially when she pops back in at the end to deliver the final blow.

Now a whole bunch of mysteries are in store. The whole deal with the nurse being dead before the day of the Watanagashi festival is making me wonder who exactly went into the storeroom. Was the burnt-up corpse a fake or is it the real thing?

Secondly, what's the deal with Mion popping up in an attempt to kill Keiichi? Is she actually dead like Oisshi said she was and her body just possessed by the demon or is Keiichi hallucinating again? I doubt the hallucination theory because Keiichi actually seems in full control of his mind this time around.

On another note, Rena's my new favorite character in that series. Thoughtful, and observant as all hell. I really like the way she analyzes clues and reasons everything out.

Looking forwards to the next story arc.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I also agree zzeroparticle, I just saw it and for once had shivers running up and down my body, and Rena did actually have a more mature side rather than the giddy one in the first chapter.

Spoiler:

But here's where all the damn confussion happens... I had quite the conflict trying to find out whether the character was really Mion or Shion, until this chapter, I think.
I always do rantings when I'm trying to solve something.
With the phone calls; so Shion never called Keiichi then, Mion was posing as Shion the whole time, explaining the laughing and cutting him off the first time, right?
And was the woman actually a walking spirit then?

Also, why does Mion tell Keiichi about the people who defend him from the bullies, when Shion is with him, and later in the chapter meet up with Mion. Could it be that one of them never existed? Since the demon says that everything went wrong when Rena recieved the doll...

Finally, the first part where Rika stabs herself in the head... well, I don't know what to say about that one actually, but I think maybe Mion wasn't the only one at handywork.

This keeps on getting madder.
I like it. =P

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I joined the forums for this topic.

I cant wait for the next episode.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Supposely WinD lost their translator but they're trying to get ep 9 out soon. But after that it should be a rocky road ahead unless they find a replacement. Hopefully they do, I don't want to wait weeks and weeks for Triad to catch up

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Those are some bad news. I hope they get the episode out, meanwhile I'll be dying here trying to find out what's going to happen next.
Triad was stalled way back on episode 4, right?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I haven't watched it yet, can anyone recommand a fansub group to me? It seems like there are 3 groups currently subbing this series....

I was speaking idiomatically.

WinD is the furthest along with its subs. They're pretty good in terms of accuracy (with only one problematic area which they fixed in their second release of the episode; the NO BLOOD for those who know what I'm talking about) and speed at which they get their stuff out. Of course, with their translator gone, this will slow down, but hopefully the replacement is just as good as who they had before.

In any case, I do recommend watching WinD's subs.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Episodes 9 & 10 are already out!

Spoiler:

I was really confused with Satoko's attitude at the end of chapter 10, could it possibly be that she killed her own brother?

FELIPE NO

The show seems to be creating some buzz in the anime community recently. I'm watching something else at the moment but I will definately check this out next.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

Only 15 posts here?! C'mon, it's Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.

Anyways, I've seen up to episode 11 and it's just getting better and better. I'm really looking forward to the end of Tatarigoroshi-hen, especially after I heard the following episodes will pretty much crush all the theories you've made up until now.

Also, for those who have not played the game (including me), there's a blogger who writes summaries of the events in the game that the anime changed or omitted. I apparently can't give a link because I don't have enough posts, but if you're interested, google for Makenai desuwayo.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I agree, there should be more posting, there is so much "juice" in this anime to be talked about, and I'm definitely waiting to find out what really happened in each of the parts.
Episode 12 is already out! =)

There's nowhere I can't reach.

If you think the episodes 5-8 were confusing, good luck understanding 9-13. They leave you with surprisingly many questions...>_>

Spoiler:

At the start of the episode 9, you can see some smelly bag in the water...with Satoshi's corpse. Also, the 15-nails-per-hand-torture (which has been used in episode 8) directly hints at it being a murder and not a suicide. Who killed Satoshi?

Why does Satoko go crazy when Keichi pats her at the end of epi 10?

Keichi killed Satoko's Stepfather/Grandfather/Whatever, but the next day how was he still torturing Satoko?

While Keichi was killing Satoko's Stepfather/Grandfather/Whatever, how could the girls have any memories of being with him on that festival at the same time?

What was Takano doing while Keichi was burrying the corpse, did she kill someone?

At the start of episode 13, why did Keichi turn around and say "You...could it be...Satoshi"?

Why did Satoko stay in the bath for such a long time and why was she counting up to 10,000?

Why did Dr. Irie suicide?

Who killed Rika and why?

What was the report at the end of episode 13 about, does it hint that everyone except Keichi died, does it hint at the cause of Rika's death?

Well, to be honest, this anime is still one of the best I have seen so far!

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Episode 20 was just released by Wind, who are the group I'm going to be switching to. I was using Ayu, but they are way to far behind right now. Alot of stuff has happened since 13 on the last post in this thread.

Spoiler:

So apparently Mion's twin sister is the great mastermind behind the murders of all those involved with Obawhatever's curse. She was the one who killed Rika... or at least Rika commits suicide thus defaulting the victory to her >_>

Also, we now know that the whole curse thing was indeed commited by villagers, mainly the three ruling houses or whatever. There are still a few more questions that are unanswered, but I suppose those will come with the final 6 episodes.

Episode 20 has got to be the most gruesome of them all so far though >_>

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

I'd say that episode 8 ruled the day simply because of the sheer amount of suspense that it tacks on with Shion and what was in store for Keiichi. The series has been very gruesome all in all and I love it for all the mystery it's putting forth for the audience to tackle.

As for some of the more recent episodes, a lot of it is beginning to make more sense now. My thoughts on it are as follows:

Spoiler:

Some of the disappearances/murders are caused by the villagers early on, but there is a supernatural element at work here. I say that because Rika claims that she is able to hear Oyashiro's voice on certain occasions, and that in the story arc involving the detective, she systematically named every single character who was going to be killed as the years went by, including herself. To my knowledge, there isn't a hitlist or anything that could allow her prior knowledge to who would be killed/spirited away. Furthermore, even Shion admits to feeling a presence that's hovering around her. Could be Oyashiro, but may not be.

Also, Keiichi seems to have some weird powers of his own. I think I can safely conclude that Keiichi is overly paranoid and subject to hallucinations. He also seems to have the ability to kill people simply by naming them and demanding that the curse fall upon them.

Also, I really felt bad for Rika in episode 20 during the school scene and what happened afterwards More so in light of the episode when she said:

Spoiler:

that she'd forgive the "kittens" that accidentally wandered into the shrine when she and Keiichi were talking in the second story arc. During the course of that conversation, Rika said she'd try to protect the "kitten." ;_;

How ya doing, buddy?

I watched the Triad's subs up to episode 9, but couldn't wait for more so I had to get the WinD's.

This anime is pretty damn cool, just saw the 10th episode.
I like the creepy setting this one has. Also like the opening music.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Saw through Triad's episode 9. Quick "WTF:"

Episode 9 ending:

I assume that Mion's body in the well was actually Shion and that Mion ended up in the hospital?

FELIPE NO

I really don't want to spoil anything, but don't bother making any theories about that ark. It gets "revisited" later on, but I won't say more since I feel that's one of the best surprise in the series.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

This is, by far, one of the most fucked up, disturbing animes I have ever seen... and I love it. The story is superb... and I was hooked shortly after episode two. Shion is super moe and by far my favorite character in the series. I love the odd choice of character design, considering how serious the anime actually is. The show is filled with moe/loli girls... but everyone in that town is practically insane. The final episodes should be released within the next several weeks... and I can't wait to see the last two arcs conclude.

To be honest, a scene from episode 20, particularly a raw uploaded by a Japanese user, is what made me watch this show in the first place.

Spoiler:

I'm sure you could all guess it was the scene between Rika and the disguised Shion. Watching this clip at first, I didn't understand what was going on... and then Rika sprayed Shion in the face with some sort of spray. Now my Japanese is practically non-existent, but I did understand Shion screaming "It hurts!", which kind of urked me. Without subs, it seemed to make the intended effect more powerful. And then Rika was injected with something, only to ram her kneck repeatedly into a knife. Then... Jesus the look on Shion's face... How disturbing. ;_;

I wanted to find out what the hell was going on, so I began watching this show only a few days ago. Today I watched episode 20, and now I finally understand.

I feel sorry for Shion, despite the demon inside her driving her insane. Poor girl lost her first love to the ignorant household heads in the town... and now she is going to exact her revenge upon them. The only people caught that up that don't really belong in all this is Mion and Keiichi, but I guess when you're possessed by some demon/Oyashiro-sama/whatever you don't think clearly. Also, Shion has nice breasts. <3

Aside from episode 20, an earlier episode where Shion was forced to rip out her own fingernails made me cringe. Just thinking about ripping out fingernails, let alone doing it to yourself, gave me the chills. This show is seriously disturbing on almost every level...

Anyone have any theories on Takano-san's case? So far her story is completely shrouded in mystery. I don't even know what to think about her and how she's involved in all this.

Also, if anyone happens to have the CG set for Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, either hook me up or point me in the direction of one. That would be greatly appreciated. ^_^

Jam it back in, in the dark.