Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni was actually subbed a while ago, but somehow eluded me until today. I remember noting it as the anime with the picture of the spooky girl from anidb. I don’t think I’ve ever been satisfied with a mystery/drama anime, but I decided to try this one out anyway.
Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni is a really schizophrenic anime. It starts off with the gruesome murder of some women by a guy with a baseball bat. Next, it’s time for some school harem fun. Then creepy murder innuendo, Colonel Sanders, creepy harem fun, and creepy axe girl!
As far as I can see, the real meat of this anime is the murder mystery. The harem fluff on top of it is just there to throw you off. Everyone in the town seems wary of the main character, Maebara Keiichi, who just moved in. It seems like they’re all in on the mystery, and it’s up to Keiichi (and us) to figure it out.
While Rena does have an axe at the end of the episode, that doesn’t necessarily mean she’s gonna cut up Keiichi. All of the girls seem like they’d be capable of bad stuff. Did anyone else notice the handcuffs and whip in their club locker!? It looks like we’ll have to watch more to get an idea of what direction the anime is headed.
The character designs all look pretty generic. There’s nothing really outstanding here, but I do like the crazy SD expressions they use. I think the contrast between the cutesy harem stuff and the spooky murder stuff really make the scary parts stronger.
I also noticed that the voice work is really good. Usually I don’t pay that much attention, but all the voices, especially Rena’s, are really cute! I guess the cute voices are another way that the girls try to cover up whatever happened in that town.
The OP is a mostly atmospheric song meant to get you pumped for the anime. In that context, it works pretty well. The ED kinda reminds me of “1000 Words” from FFX-2 because of the engrish and the style in which it’s sung. I still like the FFX-2 song better, though.
Download the OP: “Higurashi no Naku Koro ni” by Eiko Shimamiya
Download the ED: “why,or why not” by Hiroyuki Oshima feat. Rekka Katakiri
In the past, “horror” anime always seemed too cheesy or ugly for me to watch. Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni gets past these problems by making the horror more subtle and the characters cute. I’ve already been sucked into the mystery, so I’ll keep watching this anime for now.
23 replies on “Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni – Anime First Impressions”
Now that you watched the first episode, rewind to the beginning and look closely at the color/shape of thwo girls and guy’s hair.
I actually noticed that while I was taking the screencaps. Pretty good foreshadowing there, huh?
I downloaded it with no actual knowledge of the storyline. i thought it was guna be a cute romance story….was i wrong or what…but now, although i feel like pukeing, im kinda hooked onto it….=S
[…] Hung’s not so scared reviews of Jigoku Shoujo, Ayakashi and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. […]
Is there going to be a sequel OVA or something to cover the two last answer arcs and show the real ending?
Hey is there maybe a site where I can download the Higurashi games? Translated or just Jap
OMG this anime scared me to death b/c i only watched it at night. Though it scared me i LOVED the ending.
Hi there…
I want just remark that this anime…is pretty cool…
Even though I thought its gonna be a weeak try for elfen lied type at the very opening scene..it was different..and I love the mystery and spookiness created around the small village and the cute girls…its strong…addicting theme…
its keeping you tight and wanting to see more..and when you are falling asleep…you think about the ending..and all the possibilities…
very good stuff..
I don’t see how this Anime is anything like Elfen Lied
There’s blood, but that’s the only thing simaller!
This Anime is awesome!
hrmmmm im so confused with this series…. but at the same time REALLY into it…an it makes no sence when i go to watch another episode,so im not sure if its just the site jumbling up the episodes, but i had the exact same problem with Elfin Lied like i got into it an than i couldnt find anymore episodes, with english translations (subtitles)
so if anyone can help with that, that would be great
This anime is so messed up! =O
I watched this anime to the very end, and although there are still somethings I do not understand, I love it! Some of my favortire seiyuu’s do voices in it and i love it~!
They are planning a second series which will begin to air sometime this July. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai is supposedly going to be an original story from what I’ve heard.
i really love this anime, i find you have to go back and watch it from the beginning once you finish it to understand it fully 😛 well youtube got rid of the episodes (*screams many censered words*) so does anyone know where i can find and watch them all with english subtitles?
rant/ Don’t use the term “Harem” This anime is inNO was a “Harem” anime. Not all of the girls are falling in love with this one guy, Just possibly 2. Not to mention the visual novel did not in any way point this in the direction of a dating sim or anything like that. Even for the little bit of romance they did show tey did not elaborate on. /rant
First season ended. Aren’t making a second season coming out in July?
The Second Season Will Be Released In July you can find some great screenshots from the last 2 arcs.
(its supposed to be a 24 episode second series)
^__^
~Excited~
[…] is a continuation of the original Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni anime, which is licensed now. I never actually finished watching the original series, though it had […]
Ok I love thsi anime but I’ve only seen about the first 6 ep’s dose anyone know where I can download it?
you gotta watch it from beginning to end for it all the make sense.
just treat the episodes as different perspectives, showing little bits of the greater ‘truth’, which is revealed at the end of the 1st season. It all pretty much makes sense in the end, and yes, its fucking scary as when the girls go psycho
[…] where no one dies, but that’d be lame to animate. Maybe the anime will end up being like Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and show many endings, since the progression is moving really […]
I just got sucked into the mystery, too. Now I want to watch more!
if you dont get the first season then the seccend one will explian everything