Anime: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

Critic’s Log - Earthdate: May 12, 2013. Review #47: Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni: Kai

Well, I survived the horrors that I saw in Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni. And... I am prepared for more. With that said, let’s get out of this tunnel from hell with Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni: Kai.



The endless cycle of hatred and death that befell the small village of Hinamizawa still continues. Rika Furude is the sole witness of all those tragedies and she tries to find a way out of it with her friends' help, without knowing if there is one after all.

To be technical, this is another Studio Deen production and this is the sequel of Higurashi. If you think that Higurashi Kai has better quality of animation, you would be half-right. The character designs do look the same and the animation is in the same style that the first show has, but what is upgraded are the aesthetics and the show does look nice compared to the first season. Like the first series, the animation isn’t perfect in Higurashi: Kai but it still looks nice.

The music by Kenji Kawai is recycled from the first season, but it is still used effectively and still worth listening to with or without the show. So there’s not much room for me to bring up the music this time, however, The opening is great and the closing is pretty decent.

When it comes to voice acting, The Japanese Cast is excellent and an English Dub does not exist in this show. Allow me to explain why this is the case. Geneon was the original licensor of the American release of the first Higurashi anime and well...Geneon went under a few years back. Funimation acquired this anime shortly after but they did not make an English Dub to it as well as an official American release to it. Also, Funimation’s license for Higurashi expired. Making this an Unlicensed Anime for the U.S. My policy with anime is that I don’t review new animes that have not been licensed in the U.S. yet. With Higurashi: Kai, I will make an exception. With that said, The Japanese cast just as good as the first series. There isn’t a bad one in the bunch.

As far as character development goes. Higurashi: Kai has proven to make this topic a lot more interesting. I may have pointed out that character development was a bit hard to analyze because of the “resetting” of the story after the ends of each arc. Well... Higurashi takes a twist in things. For instance, Keiichi is the main lead in the first season. This is made perfectly clear. However, in Higurashi: Kai. It turns out that Rika Furude is the main lead this time. This is one of the few major changes between Higurashi and Higurashi: Kai. Another major change is the tone. Remember when the first Higurashi season had those pants-pissing terrifying moments? Well, that almost plays no part in Higurashi: Kai. Instead of being a Horror anime, Higurashi: Kai is a thriller instead. This could be a turn off for some that were hoping that Higurashi: Kai would have those horrific moments that the first season was known for. As far as character development goes, it is mostly fleshed out to an extent that the development is better than the first . Or maybe that they intentionally developed them in the second season, but I digress. It is much more developed this time. There’s even some thought-provoking moments too but you really have to pay attention in this show to really understand.

However, the change in genre for Higurashi really does throw a major twist in things. Is this bad? You know what... No! Even though the two seasons combined isn’t balanced, The thriller aspect of Higurashi: Kai really works to the show’s advantage most of the time. The thing I was pleased with is the explanation to why the story kept resetting. I have an analogy for you in case you’re still confused. The “Resetting” is like when you play The Legend of Zelda: Majora’s Mask and you play the Song of Time to go back to The First Day and all that. If you saw the first Higurashi season, you would know that the story begins and later on, the majority of characters are meeting terrible fates and it starts all over again. The deaths are really terrible to witness, and they were horrifying. Just remember, when the story arc ends, the Song of Time would be played off-screen. There’s my analogy. Link must be somewhere off-screen and I wish he could’ve stopped playing The Song of Time earlier because I had to witness these cruel events that took place in the first season. Why am I still talking about Zelda? in the end, Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni had one groundbreaking factor, and that is the unconventional narrative that the first season had as well as this, everything else isn’t as groundbreaking, But this is a series that has to be seen if you’re a buff of Horror or Thriller that both have mystery attached.

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni: Kai was never licensed in the U.S. look this series up somewhere at your own leisure.

With all that said, Higurashi: Kai makes some twists and turns but still manages to be just as good as the first season, even though it’s a Thriller and not a Horror anime, it’s just as watchable as the first season. It explains some or most of the confusion and this should be seen if you liked the first season but was confused along the way.

I give Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni: Kai a 7.5 out of 10, it is GOOD!

Feel free to leave a comment, and let’s play Old Maid.

"Higurashi no Naku Koro ni: Kai."

"Kai" means "Solution" in Japanese. The two seasons of "Higurashi" functions like a mystery/detective novel, where the first season is about the horrifying event that transpired, and the second season is the solution where truths are revealed.

Be warned that the two seasons have COMPLETELY different atmosphere and feel to them. The first season was a horror with plenty of violence and really creepy characters, but the second season is mainly drama with a lot more comedic relief.

I personally had trouble coping with the abrupt change at first, especially since there were drastic change in drawing style, and it felt like a slapstick series at times.



The second season of "Higurashi" was possibly the greatest turnaround I've seen thus far in anime, as well as being an overwhelmingly well-made sequel season in the league of "Code Geass R2" and "Clannad After Story".

For those curious, the third season "Rei" means "Gratitude", and "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni" literally translates to "When Evening Cicada Cries", and "By the Time Sun Sets" in context to a line by the protagonist in the first season.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai is the continuation of the first Higurashi anime. In this one more is revealed about why the events in the first season is constantly repeating itself, although with different developments and endings. [br][br]In this review there may be some spoilers, so beware if you still haven't watched the show yet![br][br]Animation: 8[br][br]The animation is about the same as in the first Higurashi. The violence is somewhat toned down. Maybe because several events in Japan, e.g. where a teenage girl had killed his father (who's a police officer) with an axe or a similar object. Because this event, some other anime has also been toned down, e.g. School Days (which is originally a visual novel with the infamous endings). Personally, I think it didn't hurt the story much, but it did show a big contrast between Higurshi 1 and 2, where the level of violence in the first Higurashi is a lot higher. There are some martial arts fight scenes to my surprise![br][br]Sound: 8[br][br]The background music and soundeffects are about the same quality as those in the first season. The OP song of the Higurshi no Naku Koro ni Kai is not as good as the OP song of the first season of Higurashi, but it is still good. On the other hand the ED song of the Higurashi 2, "Taishō.a (対象.a)" by anNina is very good.[br][br]Story: 8[br][br]I already have said that in the second season more secrets will be revealed. The story/plot remind me of the game "Resident Evil"/ "Bio Harzard" (Japanese name for the same game); where the organization "Tokyo" resembles the organization "Umbrella" in Resident Evil series; both organizations do the research on virusses which can control human (or take over control of the mind of a human). Despite that, the main story still flows very well. [br][br]Character: 8 [br][br]A new character is introduced: Hanyu, a kind of Deity. The character development is also very good in the second season - mostly in an opposite way where in the first season most of main characters become bad guys under influence of the virus and in the second season they become good guys who co-operate to stop the organization "Tokyo" (actually to stop Takano) and to help Rika to survive that day in June 1983, especially when this time it may be the last time Rika can re-incarnate into this world at the same timeline around june 1983 to solve the mysteries and stop the massacre. In the Higurashi 2 we also got more to see why Miyo Takano becomes a so ruthless and cold person.[br][br]Value: 7[br]&[br]Enjoyment: 8[br][br]Since Higurashi is about mystery and conspiracy theories, the enjoyment for the second time would lowered alot after revealing the secrets. But watching the anime for the first time, it is very good and exciting.[br][br]Overal, a very good sequel to the first Higurashi. Maybe a disspointment for those who like the violence and bad endings in the first Higurashi. Well, personally, I think after all the bad endings in the first season, it's good to see a good ending in the second season. Although, there's still something mysterious at the very end of the show: a grown-up Rika and a little girl with blonde hair, I suppose she is Miyo Takano, meeting each other. I don't know whether it's the future, the past or an other dimension /reality. Maybe more answers in the third Season (or the newer Higurashi games).[br]

I noticed all the rave reviews of this anime and I decided to voice my opinion. This anime (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai)
is sequel to a series with much greater storyboard and enjoyment (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni). The worst part of this anime is that it is not classified on anidb as its true self-->70% drama with 30% action. There is no horror involved with this series unlike the prequel. Far from it, the characters decide to solve their problems the socially acceptable way...like good children. I know this sounds like a bad joke after watching the first series of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, but this seems to happen with sequels.
***edit***
Generally disappointing series. Read the other reviews for more info.

After being throughly confused from the first season... This season completed turned everything around making me think twice again before judging an anime too early. It took me a really long time to get back to this series because of the relatively slow start it had and also confusing way it choose to progress. If you haven't seen the first season do not even consider watching any of this because it totally ruins the fun for you. Also it does not give you much explaination of the previous events. This season only has 3 arcs that are mainly focused on explaining everything that happened from the first season. It literally felt like the dawn of a new morning and bringing light to the complete darkness they threw you in from the first season. From the start you are introduced the "main" character of the series who was still a mystery from before. That is Rika becomes this along with a new "ghost" character named Hanyuu. You find out little by little till the end where everything is brought to a nice close. I'm still surprised there is another season after this... But apparently they had a few games after the resolution chapters so I'm GUESSING they will be focused on thoses. Anyway on with the real review.

Animation
This is the only part that wasn't outstanding. From the first series on they did not have the greatest looking anything. It was all mediocre or underaverage in some areas. I think the main issue they had was the flow of characters during action sequences. For me it looked like not as much effort was put to make the thoses parts fluid. Also the characters themselves are all twigs. From the first season on the joke for Higu is always KILLER LOLIS!! It is kinda true I mean if you just look at their arms and legs they look like they can snap if you touched them. But overall I think the animation served the purpose it needed so I can't bash it too much.

Sound
This worked well. They used the OST and many effects to single certain scenes and also add in effect at many moments. It really felt like a horror anime just like the first season. Although I think the first season had much harsher moments this one still had the times where you cringe at the thought of what is happening on the screen. The Opening and ending were fairly good too. The opening had a catchy start while the ending had a slow eased out feel. And as always the voices kept up the good work. Espially Rika you had the change in voice whenever she was serious and that worked out VERY well. They picked good voice actors and it made it interesting.

Story
Definitely a plus in this case. They put enough story to fill up the part from the first season. Almost all events and links to the main story are explained in detail. They also pace it so that you don't get everything all at once. Bit by bit you realize the true meaning of the events and how they came about. They barely waste anytime at all for side stories. Not only did they have a extensive story but the twists they gave were very unexpected making it even more intriguing. I pretty much finished the last 13 ep in 2 days :P... even though the first 12 took around 3 months.

Character
Another amazing part of the series. Although the focus was taken off of the "main" characters from the first season they still managed to develop everyone. You get more work on other unexpected links to the story that become very amusing. Many characters that you had no idea were part of the main story get a major role. I can honestly say the characters are full of surprises. The only thing I really can say that I personally found strange was the happiness. Everyone seemed way to happy in all situations no matter how dire. I mean yeah for the anime it worked but in real life I could never imagine it happen. But this doesn't retract from the anime because it actually takes them quite some time to build this confidence.

Value and Enjoyment
The overall message is important in many ways. They focus on the aspects of friendship and its importance which is a continuation from the first season. They also focus on other parts of human contact that become interesting. They also have some other scenes that ask more human rights questions but aren't as important in the long run. In terms of value for rewatching I think I would only rewatch it with someone else. Although I think one rewatch would be good just to see missed hints... Or even just to say OH wow I didn't notice that or I can't believe that actaully meant something. I really enjoyed this series. It was a big surprise for me. The first season to me was the first anime that I could actually classify as horror. But this season although you could still do the same but I think it felt more like a real anime then a horror anime. That is why I recommend thoses who enjoyed the first season to definitely watch this. It has quite a bit of drama, horror, comedy in it and is worth your while. If you haven't seen first season go watch it first then come back to this. Anyway have fun :)

a hundred years lived, for this day

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni asked questions. Horrific questions. Who killed? Who died? Why?

Was it real?

The ending of the first season began to answer questions, but it left so many questions unanswered. What was the root cause of the tragedy that would fall upon the village of Hinamizawa in the summer of 1983? Can it be prevented? How?

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai provides the answers. Since it is nearly impossible to do justice in reviewing this anime without severe spoilers, I will be breaking out spoiler sections and encrypting them with rot13 - simply paste those sections into the box at www.rot13.com, or use a plugin for your browser of choice.

If you have not watched or completed the first season, consider everything below this point to be a spoiler and stop reading now!



you are not a flower in hell

Kai encompasses three chapters, whereas the first season covered six chapters. Of these chapters, the first chapter in Kai is not covered in any of the games, being special content for the anime series. It's an arc that covers some of the questions and begins to introduce one of the answers - maybe the one answer that's needed.

The two solution chapters that make up the vast bulk of the series are a marked departure from the first season. Whereas the question chapters are horrifying and confusing, the solution chapters in Kai are much more straightforward. The change in pace and style was initially jarring, but once the hook is set, the series reels you in without effort.

my path is shrouded in darkness and despair

Animation + Sound: The animation in Kai is effectively the same as in the original series. There isn't as much insane facial deformation, but there are quite a few points of SD-amusement and "crayon scribble" characters. As with many series, my main lament is that the characters seem to have a severe lack of clothing. I know I don't go out wearing the same thing every day. Why do these kids, especially since some of them are from pretty rich families? It's not really a major concern in relation to the rest of the series, but it would have been nice to see a little more focus on the character design.

On the sound front, all the voice actors reprise their roles and do the same amazing job. Rika's voice actor alone deserves major credit for her ability to cover both sides of Rika's character. The OP song, Naraku no Hana, is just as amazing as the opening to the first season. Unfortunately, the ending song is nowhere near as good as the first season.

The OP sequence is extremely fitting. The minor changes to it, upon starting the final chapter at episode 14, made me catch my breath. It's just a couple of small things, but when you've reached that point in the series, the significance of those changes is all out of proportion. The ED sequence is heartwarming and gentle, an excellently designed cooldown to the rising tension of each episode. The "next episode" section, in opposition to the first season, is much more light-hearted and is not serious at all.

Viewers should definitely watch past the ending credits during the final chapter! Don't skip it, there is story content between the credits and the preview!

i can do nothing but watch the darkness descend over and over

Story + Character: Herein will lie most of the spoilers, as previously warned.

The real story in Kai begins where the first season left off - with Furude Rika. Rika-chan knows more than she lets on, and in Kai, she is the focal character who helps the viewer put all the pieces together and uncover the mystery. While the first season is a horrific thriller, the season season is more focused on the thrills alone. The storyline moves at a good pace, spacing out the answers and solutions to the very end.

By the end, almost all of the questions will have been answered. The writing and scripting and design of the story is fantastic, even if some of the situations do seem to be a bit old hat.

Spoilers--Va gehgu, V jnf zvyqyl qvfnccbvagrq gung fb zhpu bs gur fgbel sryy vagb gur gverq byq gnyr bs n funqbjl zlfgrevbhf betnavmngvba chyyvat fgevatf. Ertneqyrff, gur sbphf hcba gur gehr ivyynva naq gur gehr cebgntbavfg pbzcyrgryl bhgjrvturq gung fznyy qvfnccbvagzrag. Gur punenpgrevmngvba naq qrcgu tvira gb gur ivyynva vf rabhtu gb znxr zr srry flzcngul naq cvgl.

Gur sbphf bs gur svefg frnfba jnf ba sbetvirarff, juvyr gur frpbaq frnfba vf sbphfrq ba havgl. Gur vagebqhpgvba bs Unalhh, juvyr chfurq n yvggyr dhvpxyl, vf gur xrl ryrzrag gb gur fgbel. Jura fur svanyyl fgrcf bhg bagb gur cynlvat svryq, rirelguvat ryfr unf orra ynvq bhg naq gur ivrjre xabjf gung fur vf gur svany cvrpr arrqrq gb jva. Nyy gur bgure gvzrf, nyy gur bgure ernyvgvrf gung Evxn unf orra fhowrpgrq gb, ivpgbel jnf vzcbffvoyr sbe n ubfg bs ernfbaf, rira vs rirelguvat jrag pbeerpgyl. --End Spoilers

The characters in Kai haven't changed much from the first season, for obvious reasons. I was very pleased to see Shion featured more as she is probably my favorite character in the series. Only a couple of characters are newly introduced in this season, but many other characters have a lot of depth added to them, which is part of revealing the solution, of course.

In many stories, flashbacks are terrible things to incorporate. They throw the focus of the story off and it is difficult to regain the initial flow. In Higurashi, however, understanding the past is essential to understanding the present and the future. Characters have more of their past revealed in a way that doesn't break the story. This is more due to the way the series is broken up into chapters, but it works and it works well.

Spoilers--Gur punenpgre bs Unalhh vf gur xrl ryrzrag gb gur frevrf. Fur vf gur punenpgrevmngvba bs ubcr naq ivpgbel, gur bar cvrpr va gur tnzr gung tvirf gur sbeprf bs Shehqr Evxn gur fgeratgu naq jvyy gb birepbzr gur rarzl.

Bire naq bire, gur frevrf ervasbeprf gur vzcbegnapr bs gehfg naq sevraqfuvc, gur obaqf orgjrra crbcyr, naq gur fgeratgu gung pbzrf sebz havgl. Vg'f n cnggrea ercrngrq va znal fgbevrf - gur crbcyr jub snvy ner varivgnoyl gur barf jub eryl bayl ba gurzfryirf.--End Spoilers

the dawn of a new day, a new world greets me

Value + Enjoyment: It is impossible to overstate the importance of watching the entire series together. You get fifty episodes of mystery, thrills, laughter, and horror. All of it is quality.

In my review for the first season, one of my eye-catch lines was "show me my fate so i can change it". That line is the essence of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and Kai - the struggle against overwhelming fate, withstanding the force of your enemy's will, gaining the strength to continue on, retaining the ability to hope. To fail is brutal death, unimaginable suffering.

this world will be different, because i will it so

In the end? I was beyond satified. The ending is what I had hoped for. The story is told, and it is over, and it was done well. I know I will be keeping this series around, I will be watching it again, and I will enjoy it for a good long time. I recommend watching the entire series without reservation.

What kind of world lies outside of the well?
Is it something that is worth struggling for?

What kind of world lies outside of the well?
Is it something so attractive enough to fall and try over and over again?

What kind of world lies outside of the well?
Let's enjoy taking the pains of finding that out.

If I reach the world that yearn for, it must be a spectacular world.
Even if that world was another pit inside a well.

The key to the new world is the resolve to get out of the well.
Being able to get out or not,
A new world awaits...