Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni translated means "When They Cry". Based off the manga and PC game, this anime show expanded in all areas of the story arc itself.

Characters and Plot

There happen to be seven main characters in all, the protagonist, a boy by the name of Keiichi Maebara who recently moved to Hinamizawa which is a fictional rural village near the countryside. The teenager has a naturally friendly and outgoing personality which makes interaction with beings his age one of the most easiest things to do, especially since the small village of Hinamizawa holds only two thousand people and a single school.

The after school club that Keiichi soon becomes a part of is led by a friend, Mion Sonozaki with the rest of his allies; Rena Ryugu, Shion Sonozaki (Mion's twin), Satoko Houjou, and Rika Furude.

Together, they become close in a short amount of time but typically have their disputes. Keiichi (being the only boy in this group) seems to accustom himself to the girly behavior rather quickly and soon realizes that his friends have a greater connection to him in a sense that overlooks the typical girl and boy stereotype.

Soon after Keiichi is taken to the annual Watanagashi Festival, a celebration for a local god by the name of Oyashiro, Keiichi learns that every year for the past four years, one person goes missing while another is murdered on the exact same day. Unfortunately for him, he finds himself spiraling into the strange events of the Festival itself. In each story arc, Keiichi finds himself or one of his friends in a position of near paranoia before a severe crime is committed. While unable to tell what is a delusion and what is actuality, the truth behind the Festival and mystery of Hinamizawa is slowly unraveled.

Overall

Higurashi was the first anime that I had found with such a thriller and psychological twist. It was new and exciting and of course, I was caught in the web of it all. Through the first season or so, there are a lot of questions that are continously asked. Confusion is apparent and the story line itself seems very hard to follow, but being one to finish the whole series, I would recommend it to anyone who has a tolerance for unnerving and confusing twists.

Once attatched to all seven characters (or at least one more than the other), the sight of them in a real life situation will send goosebumps up your spine, that I can promise you. Higruashi is a well developed story with a plot that will gives off a foreboding feeling after each episode.