SO…I saw someone post a blog entry about this show and decided to watch it. I’ve never really watched horror anime and I wanted to give one a shot! I love the horror genre anyways, so I wonder why I haven’t watched anything up till now…
Higurashi’s basic plot is that in the small village which main character Keiichi has moved too, there is a demon that kills someone and kidnaps someone at the village festival every year. I’m not entirely done with the first season, but I’m starting to get a better grasp on what is going on in the show. I was really confused at first, like many others.
Keiichi, main protagonist.
I have completely become addicted to this anime, it’s like crack. The mystery is too intense, I have to keep watching until I figure it all out. I really enjoy when I get at least one little thing solved before a little bit of the true answer is revealed by the anime. (Though apparently the first season doesn’t give a lot of answers, it gives you a lot of questions that get answered in the second season.)
The confusing part of this anime occurred after the first 4 episodes. In the 4th episode, Keiichi dies along with two of the leading girl characters, Mion and Rena. So I didn’t know how they were going to continue the series and moved onto the next episode.
In episode 5, everyone is alive and well. This confused the hell out of me, they just died so how are they alive? Apparently, every 3 or 4 episodes the first scenario is reset and we get to watch it again with a different outcome. The plot changes completely and the characters face their fates in different ways than the previous scenarios. Kind of like showing you all of the options of how a murderer made his kill, I’ve never seen this in an anime and it’s really interesting to watch.
Rena (My favorite of the crazy girls)
There are four main girls we follow along with Keiichi throughout the episodes and they are Rena, Mion, Rika and Satoko. In each scenario one or two of the girls goes crazy (usually possessed by the demon) and end up violently killing everyone else off. And I mean violenty. Long, drawn out, grotesque deaths done by torturing. There is a lot of blood and a lot of scenes that make you flinch, I found that AWESOME..normally anime doesn’t have that kind of affect on me. I’m glad I found one that can scare me silly. 
The four girls are later joined by two others, Shion, who is Mion’s twin sister and Hanyu who is was something like a figment of Rika’s imagination but then becomes real.
Mion or Shion, they look the same so this could be shown as either one. ^.^
When I began the series I tried hard not to be drawn in by any of the girls, liking them would only make me more freaked out when they became killers later. But I was assuming that this was a normal anime. Since the scenario is often reset it doesn’t necessarily mean that the girl who was evil in the last one will be evil in the current one. After I learned of this, I began to like the characters more. (Especially Rena, even if she is a vicious killer at some points, she is still super frickin cute!)
I had read about this show about a month ago but decided not to watch it, until I found this video. The first time I watched this video I was sooo freaked out, but the second time through I laughed my ass off. My boyfriend was watching with me and he was scared as hell of the anime girls. (And me too, cause I can laugh just like them. )
I checked it out after I watched the video and was so scared through the first scenario that it took me a few hours to get to sleep, but as the series progressed, I kind of got used to the violence and craziness. I just loved that this anime could keep me guessing. No one could predict what was coming next, it was completely mind bending and amazing. I feel so sorry for Keiichi though, always getting caught up in the middle of the skitzoness even though he has nothing to do with it! Makes me sad everytime he gets killed.
Another thing that got me hooked on this anime was the awesome opening theme. Combining cute flowers with crazy phsyco girls really worked out, and the song is just beautiful.
Other characters that I didn’t post much about include…
Satoko, the blonde girl next to Keiichi and Rika, the purple haired shrine maiden. (Both are younger than the others.)
That pretty much sums up this post, I have a TON more to say, but am eager to finish up the first season and begin the second! I recommend this show to anyone who loves horror animes or animes that keep you guessing. Though I must give you fair warning that it is VERY intense and not for the fainthearted! <3
Ah Higurashi, my favorite anime. Ah Rena, my favorite anime girl. Ah the joy of laughter… This is an intense and awesome anime. The story arcs are extremely fun to follow as question arcs turn to answer arcs. This is what I would call the perfect anime. No not for blood and violence, but for the sheer mind bending ideas and compelling characters. I’ve seen quite a few anime (too many:p) and this one caught my attention like no other anime did. Sure Kanon, Clannad, Card Captor, Negima, and tons more are great but only Kanon came close to Higurashi’s impact on me. I would recommend this to any one who can stomach it. Great story and great characters make you want more. I know I want more.
Ah Higurashi. The reason why in one episode everyone is dead except Rena/Mion/or any other is that the Anime is based on the visual novels. There are 4 original Question arcs, and 4 Answer arcs. So when you see that in one episode, Rena or Mion kills Keiichi, and another where Rena helps Keiichi stop Mion or the other way around, it’s all based on the original arcs. You’re right about the first season, it’s only based on the Question arcs. Episode 5 is the beginning of the 2nd Question arc. So when the 2nd season starts, the first 4 episodes are the resolution of the first 4 episodes on the 1st season. After the 1st and 2nd season are done, there will be bonus arcs to add, or it ends, I hope it’s the first.!
Yeh i love Higurashi. The first season is Higurashi no naku koro ni and the second is higurashi no naku koro ni kia. they is a third season but it is like only 13 eps or so and it is not in english, not even translated yet, into english. maybe fansubbed it may be like on youtube or so but i am not sure. if you go to the webeki site otr something, lol, i cant remember its aleways like within 5 from the top if you google just higurashi it has all the info on it you need from playstation games of it, manga, the liveaction movie, you can watch the live action movie on some japanese sites but it has no translation but still fun to watch, later peeople and have fun, huhuhuhu i will be sent off for BT in 10 days, i am becoming a human intell. coll. for the army HUMINT lol
Higurashi Is Great!
I Make Videos Featuring It!
NOt to spoil or anything, but rika is a HUGE part of higurashi, i am surprised you didn’t post much about her
Im watching it myself atm… Its creepy as… Especially if your watching it a 3:00 am in a dark, creepy, cold room… Me: MUMMMMYYYY!
i loveee higurashi no naku koro ni<'333