Review: Higurashi no naku koro ni

Lemme tell you something about Higurashi no naku koro ni.....

A few years back before I was into doctor who and was mostly a gamer and otaku A friend of mine Started watching higurashi All I had heard or seen was damn near traumatizingly gorey and violent so I wasn't Running into the series with my head held high.I'm a bit of a sissy when it comes to gore though oddly enough I love alot of horror movies.....I digress.

Evantually maybe a month later I decided to give it a shot and I could not stop watching trying to figure out what was going on. It had me from the start but maybe I should take a more scientific look to this

For those who don't know higurashi no naku koro ni is a japanese anime series that came out of a game series of the same name.It has the same cast of characters every arc but at the end of each arc usually all or most of the main cast ends up dead only to start up the next arc like nothing happened.When the afore mentioned friend told me that all of the things that happened in each arc did happen by which I mean all of the stories at the end are canon and did happen but not at the same time.Sort of.....It's confusing to think of but trust me when I heard this I tore through the series in a fit of classic mystery glee.However much like old time mystery novels it's graphic......really graphic like nightmare fuel for months graphic and I was 21 when I started watching it.It's like a mystery crossed with an old school and awesome horror movie It's the how and when that make it so fascinating

• Plot-The plot to higurashi Looking back is fairly twisted and swirled in terms of how things end up at the end.mostly surrounding the identity of the main villain Who I will Identify as Oyashiro Since that what I called it in the top 10 villains.But I really think that while following the full plot to higurashi through to the second season higurashi kai is an impressive and unique story I really think the beauty lies in the first season's short story-esque arcs.The first season only known as higurashi no naku koro ni or when they cry in english And in 26 episodes there are six mini stories with clues to the big payoff in kira but you could easily take the first season alone as a series of short stories and really either way you are in a good position to get the most out of the series.While stories have been done better I still stand by the main story of the first two seasons......I'll get to the other two later.
• Animation- the animation is bright colorful and yet still very sinister when done right.It gives off a nice sense of small town imagery and sights and also the feeling of the summer.Living in a small town I definatly see the similarities.the second season Improves it a little but while the first season can be crude here and there it never becomes anything terrible so I do enjoy it all in all.
• Characters For the most part are enjoyable and fun to watch but also deep and when they want to be disturbing as all hell. A fun fact,Rena ryuugu When I first started watching the series her voice annoyed the hell out of me and I said to the earlier mentioned friend I quote" I think I hate her".......hindsight is a bitch cause she is in fact my favorite character in the series.Both her voice actors english and japanese are good once you've gotten used to them.She's just something to see how possibly the most adorable character turns into this....

That's episode four......you see why this is a fascinating show how in hell's name did this happen?!?!?!

The sonozaki sisters are interesting to think about when you see the second and fifth arc.the both of them are very interesting to watch just to see both the similarities and differences between them.I think both have the same voice actor and they're both pretty good as well

Rika furude is my second favorite for a reason she just has the most fascinating storyline when you know what's going on in kai.She's interesting to get into the head of and while i can't say why she's a cool character because of that twist with her character.her japanese voice actor is quite good but her english one is....okay.

The houjou siblings.While both of them do have good stories and personalities i just never got into either satoko or the plot point man satoshi.Both VA's are okay in both again not my thing.

Keiichi maebara.....In the first arc he's pretty good but past that I never really had any reason to like him past that and again VA's are okay.

The minor characters again good but nothing great sans a few really nice characters.

• Sound- The sounds provide the most atomosphere from the show and can really change the way you feel in a scene.Without the chirping it's not as creepy by a long shot but with it it just gives this uneasyness to the more unsettling parts of the series.As for the main opening to the first two series,The first is a great eerie way to get into the mindset of the series and kai's is an excellent way to feel the emotional sense of the series. as for rei and kira well.....

Rei is okay in every aspect the story is okay,the plot okay,the main theme okay,the animation is slightly worse then kai but okayeverything is okay.It has a few good laughs even though it has some really obvious fan service moments.and then there is kira.......WHAT WENT WRONG HERE!?!?!?!

Kira has the most annoying opening ever,the animation is slightly better then rei but the first episode was just offensive.They took a clever and kinda cute idea for a plot and turned it into something so fanservice filled and gets damn near pornographic at points with it.I can't speak for the other parts of kira that are not out as of yet but with that opening It would be hard to take it seriously so I'm not holding my breath.

All in all watch the first two season though only the first is in english.....I don't know why since you need kai for the rest of the plot But either in english or japanese it's pretty good I give it my blessing just avoid rei and especially kira like the plague.....