Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou

--- The review contains spoilers ---

"Oh Rika, I told you to pick one, didn't?" ~ Satoko Houjou

24 episodes, a dream: to continue a franchise of almost 20 years at the height of visual novels and anime. Higurashi no Naku koro ni returned in 2020, with a surreal season. In the first season, we saw crazy, disturbing scenes and a shocking story. Higurashi Kai softens and resolves the disruption and brings a great ending to the entire series. Higurashi Rei is shorter, only 5 episodes, serving as a sequel after Kai. Now, in 2020/1, Higurashi Gou is broadcast and a new information clash is used in ... order to create two more cours for the show. "14 years have passed since the original broadcast, will they still like the anime?", That question has bothered me since the first of October, but today I can finally understand who liked it and who hated it, after all, it is not common in the days of today having an anime like this.

To begin with, it is visible the work and the high effort of Passione studio and the director, Keiichirou Kawaguchi, in making episodes without any reference to games and bows different from what we already knew before. Of course, the first thirteen episodes brought many impactful scenes and managed to recreate iconic moments (like Rena's "USODA !!"). It was definitely surprising how the first half of behaved positively as being a sequel, after all, Rika is already tired. A hundred years in loopings ... I must admit that this reference to Higurashi Kai may seem confusing at first, but it managed to bring up a new hypothesis: what if she leaves Hinamizawa, after a happy ending in 1983? Well, that's what happened. Rika enrolls at St. Lucia College and begins her journey. Obviously, we don't know how the end of this world was, since she herself doesn't have all the memories herself (even Hanyuu offering everything she has in Nekodamashi). It is incredible this change of perspective, in which Rika goes from being a simple and not very important character, to the protagonist of every anime. "But, wait, what? What's going on with Satoko ????". Yes, now we have a situation where Satoko knows more than the viewers themselves and even Rika herself. You know, I had some problems with the first two seasons. Interesting characters, like Oishi and Satoko, were not fully utilized. In most cases, they were more like a character group that is only important to be quoted or used specifically in some episodes. But look at how we are doing: Oishi has gone mad in Tataridamashi and Satoko finds Eua, an entity, like our dear Hanyuu, who also has creative powers from other worlds. It is difficult to say and explain all the points and relevance of Eua without mentioning Umineko (another series in the When They Cry franchise), so much so that it is understandable to see people disgusted by this introduction of a sudden character, but I must say that it was a great choice of scriptwriter for this fourth season. He brought a continuation with material shortened by the Ryukishi07 series limits and transcended the limits for something big.

Rena, Shion, Mion and Keichi are the ones that were most "forgotten" during the second part of the anime. In fact, this is unpleasant. It is not the same impression of character development that they had, compared to the old anime. My favorite Shion (even Higurashi Gou), was practically nonexistent in the entire show. Rena again became the "yandere" character of the show, maintaining many climaxes and iconic moments, especially in Onidamashi. Keichi, on the other hand, became the protagonist of the entire first half, but again presented some construction flaws with the show in the sequence. I don't say it was bad, since the outcome was purposely focused on Rika, Satoko and Hanyuu. Speaking of Hanyuu, she finally had more explanations regarding her limits as an entity that personifies Oyashiro-Sama. She did in fact become a fundamental piece for Rika during the final events, but I was sad to see that she apparently had a not very good and even melancholy fate.

And how can we not mention the masterpiece that was episode 16? Among all that we've seen, this moment was much more exciting and cathartic than anything we've seen before. It was a promising entry from a different Satoko. It seemed that she was the villain of the series, and in fact, she comes to be. When Eua offers part of its powers to Satoko, it uses it to normalize the problems that Rika leaving Hinamizawa would leave forever marked in these infinite fragments. It is not common, nor usual to see Satoko being a scary character in Higurashi. The cases always involved Rena, Shion, Keichi and Mion as the biggest protagonists and cursed. Satoko has never been so prominent before, and I loved it. Her personality having a little change, experiencing everything that Rika lived, was a great narrative to follow the story forward. I like alternating postures and psychological dualities in Higurashi, but Satoko's perspective has outgrown much of what has already been brought up. She starts from a child who loves her friend as her only family to a young woman unsure about the upheaval that changes in her friendship with Rika could change Hinamizawa's course. And even though this seems to be a spook on Satoko's part, her side of concern for her home village is visible, after all, even if there is a perfect destination, Higurashi always contains tragedies and plot twists, where some moments are not predictable. Higurashi Gou was like that and knew how to use his elements very well.

Another issue to be valued is the production of the show. Of course, Higurashi was never an anime to be praised for its animation, that I confess, but the Passione studio brought a much better look than the art of 2006 and brought it much closer with the version of the games. This aesthetic is reminiscent of the Monotagari Series (of course, the show's designer did direct work on this series), in addition to appropriating more up-to-date environments. Again, some episodes are not well used even with this improvement, it is not easy to accept the Kimiyoshi scene in episode 15, for example, but it was the best they were able to do in its entirety. Many moments had a very good and above average graphic, which made me happy from the beginning. In addition, the songs again are one of the strongest points of the franchise. The opening was very good for the situations that the anime was in with the time, besides the endings were absurdly good. Irregular Entropy and God's Syndrome are songs that will mark me forever, because in addition to adding well to the message that Higurashi wants to convey, he promoted a great artistic style in the images that composed them throughout the show. The plot? As already said, he was creative, innovative and brought a different posture. It was a perfection made by the show's screenwriter, who knew how to take advantage of many of Higurashi's details, in addition to his references to the old one and the game, which are huge. The director was also impeccable at many times (episode 16 was, for me, the best of all anime in 2020, easily). The franchise can surely celebrate with the result obtained. When They Cry and 07th Expansion must be happy.

Many are wondering if Higurashi Gou can continue with a sequel. I feel like yes. At times, the show has convinced itself that it has more to show. It's not like everything that happened was empty, there are already 3 other seasons that show that clearly. But it would be great to see other strands and attempts in history, to continue the series seriously. Particularly, Hinamizawa has a lot of content to be explored, that is a fact. So, continuing with a few more episodes and a new sequence would bring new chances and adaptations to the show as a whole.

(And look what a surprise, before sending the review, Higurashi will have a sequence confirmed by Funimation.)

Finally, if you've made it this far, you should realize that it's not just any anime. Higurashi marked generations (me too) and broke many paradigms of horror and suspense, something that has not been seen for a long time. 2020 was a difficult year, the anime obviously suffered from the bad reception of many fans and newcomers with the show. I must say, it is normal and I respect the position of these people. Nobody imagined that these more controversial versions and changes in history would be chosen by Kawaguchi. However, I loved everything that was proposed. Higurashi has entered my favorites because of this season, which, for me, is nothing short of great. I really hope for a possible reinterpretation of people with the show, in fact, we are talking about a unique and exclusive content, the beloved of Ryukishi07, a little commented masterpiece. Congratulations to everyone who pledged to make this anime. Congratulations to Passione, for taking such a good title and continuing with great originality. To those who didn't watch the first few seasons, I highly recommend watching it, if it pleased you. You will certainly have no regrets about this.

NIPPAH <3

A REVIEW AND WARNING FOR EVERYONE WATCHING OR PLANNING TO WATCH:
> Higurashi no naku koro ni: Gou

I see a lot, and i mean A LOT, of negative reviews for this show... and i think this is clearly because most people came into this show with the wrong mindset.
THIS. IS. NOT. A. REMAKE.
THIS IS A SEQUEL! A THIRD SEASON!

This should have been clear from episode 2 and the opening alone.

(Slight Spoiler Warning if you haven't seen/read the original)
Episode 2 immediately jumps into it and shows you Hanyuu (who wasn't even introduced in the first season of the Deen adaptation) with Rika talking about the time ... loops and how they "returned once again" while they supposedly finally escaped that hell.
(Slight Spoiler End)

When it comes to the opening I'd like to make one more thing clear:

THIS SEQUEL WILL MOST CERTAINLY HAVE CONNECTIONS WITH UMINEKO IN SOME SHAPE OR FORM, SO IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE UMINEKO VISUAL NOVEL, THEN I ADVICE YOU DO THIS BEFORE CONTINUING OR STARTING THIS SHOW.

Why am I so sure? In the opening we get to see Featherine's silhouette and a shot of the Ushiromiya mansion.
In case you have seen Higurashi Rei, remember Rika talking about "Bernkastel"?
Shes also a character from Umineko.

Anyway, because they clearly show this in the opening, we can probally except some twist that will be better understood and more enjoyed with knowledge about the Umineko franchise. Ofcourse even I dont know what this twist will be, which is making me (as a fan of both Higurashi and Umineko) very hyped up and excited! But ofcourse for people unaware of Umineko this will probally be misunderstood/vague or just straight up confusing.

I'd like to go into more detail, but to avoid spoilers for Umineko, I'll be brief about this part:

The Higurashi story is a game to the witches, just another fragment they decided to play with, i also speculate that the "Rika" with the red eyes is actually Bernkastel.
And the fact that the mansion is shown and not just Featherine, who is another witch, gives me the feeling this won't just be a little cameo...

The main reason for my review is clearing up confusion about the show and make people realise this hate/dissapointment is undeserved (at this point in time, episode 14)

When it comes to the pacing of the show, its a little faster then season 1, but if you already know about the original arc that the new one is another "route" of, then its understandable... because most of us already know what happened in that arc, until ofcourse the parts where it changes.
This is also another confirmation that this is a sequel, every arc goes into a completely different direction while Rika uses the tactics she learned from the previous time she experienced this arc, but instead of it going smoothly by already knowing how to handle the situation.. it somehow ends up going horribly wrong anyway. This is in my opinion intriguing.
This is the mystery we are trying to solve with this new season: what changed, why is Rika back and why are things not going the way they're supposed to.

UPDATE: The current arc, Nekodamashi-hen (episode 14-15-16), is an arc that hasn't been in the Deen adaptation OR the visual novel. From here on out, everything will be freshly new content.

IN CONCLUSION, I'll say it in red, this is the best way to experience Higurashi Gou

1. Read the Higurashi VN OR Watch the Studio Deen adaptation (VN is recommended)
2. READ the Umineko no naku koro ni visual novel, DO NOT watch the incomplete rushed anime.
3. Change your mindset of what you're expecting this show to be. Keep an open mind and make sure your knowledge about the franchise is up to date.

Just by having prior knowledge and an open mind, this level of reasoning is possible for Furudo Erika. What do you think, everyone? ಸ‿ಸ

To turn a remake into a failure, you simply have to make it worse than the original, and to turn a sequel into a failure, you have to make it contribute nothing of value to and be so significantly worse than its predecessors that watching it actually dilutes the quality of the entire series as a whole. In an effort to be simultaneously accessible to newcomers and satisfying to long time fans, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou tries to be a remake and a sequel at the same time, but it manages to only have the failures of both, so the resulting mess should ... hardly pander to either demographic at all. While I’m not going to spoil anything specific, it's worth mentioning this show begins exactly where season one does, but it also immediately exposes secrets from season two before finishing a single arc or even establishing the fact this series is a time loop, thus it dismantles everything good about the original mystery by revealing what's inside the mystery box before you even knew it was there. Newcomers won’t appreciate or even comprehend the significance of certain knowledge without fully understanding the time loop and will also fail to recognize principle characters when so much focus is being shifted to those who shouldn't even be introduced yet, and fans of the original will be confused as to why any of this is appearing so soon and in such a jumbled fashion. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou consistently miscalculates how it plans to cohesively rearrange major fixtures of the plot so often, it fails to even feel like the same story any longer.

Before I even criticize the writing in depth, however, I first must decry the aspect of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou which turned me off to it even before fully comprehending its horrendous narrative structure and other fundamental problems: and that is its art style. Studio Deen has been well known in all the wrong ways for all the right reasons for the last twenty five years, and the original Higurashi no Naku Koro ni was no exception to their sometimes disastrous animation production values. That said, as much as the community wants to make memes out of awkward looking screenshots, the scratchy hand-drawn look of Deen’s linework combined with the simple colors and thick retro shadows Chiaki Kon used to juggle the show’s two very different tones made the general atmosphere feel extremely artful and visually cohesive, and when it came to the true horror and gore, the disregard for the anatomical integrity of the character art really did contribute to the demented feeling of the already shocking scenarios. The animation quality of Studio Passione’s Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou is consistently and clearly higher than that of the original Deen projects, but the actual art design and visual style is inarguably uninspired, and in my own personal opinion, just downright ugly. Everything looks so uncannily shiny and clean despite the naturalistic setting of Hinamizawa, and the glossy, digital coloration on all the character art just makes everyone look inhuman. It’s impossibly unimmersive.

It’s almost a shame the original voice cast did such a good job reprising their roles, because the writing is so dull, it turned a thriller into a slog. While season two definitely slowed down to unpack the mystery and finally work towards a solution to stop the loop and save the day, season one was absolutely nail-biting, fiercely memorable, and filled to the brim with clues and hints season two would eventually come around to piece together. Every episode had it’s own twists and turns, and even some of the dialogue found in the saccharine scenes at the beginning of each loop was meant to imply something important to the plot, and this tight script never failed to keep you so far on the edge of your seat, you’d nearly fall off when the excitement went up to eleven. However, this ability to remain engaging throughout has been entirely lost. The same meandering conversations and pandering diversions from the story at hand which are so common in anime nowadays have now penetrated a franchise as famously intoxicating as this one, and the resulting show is honestly boring to sit through. The worst part of it all, though, is the caveat of expanded universe. It turns out a lot of the alterations that make no sense even to those who’ve seen the original are actually elements from the Higurashi AND Umineko visual novels, so if you want the full experience, you have to venture outside the franchise and outside the entire god damn medium of animation which you came to enjoy in the first place to do so.

Being the cynical bitch I am, my original conception of this project was one of pure skepticism and dismissal upon first seeing the key visual with Reina’s new generic moe design. If anything, I figured they were just bringing the series back to milk it for the gore and call it a day, but they didn’t even deliver on that. The death scenes are paltry when compared to the legendary originals, and I think it all just comes down to a misguided vision for what the series was or, frankly, just bad directing. To even do the whole remake-but-also-a-sequel thing at all, they had to make the first episode essentially a one-to-one copy of the original to mislead everyone into thinking they were starting from narrative scratch, and even though the show slowly but surely crashes and burns, I think this was a good decision to begin with because it gives the audience a perfect and immediate opportunity to directly compare the two iterations. Say what you will about Chiaki Kon as a creative, and say what you will about Studio Deen as a production company, but you simply must recognize how well the original team captured the foreboding ambiance 07th Expansion manifests within the core of all their works, and you also must appreciate how electrifying the tension was in Kon’s sporadic direction, sporadic direction which itself demonstrated how expertly she was able to capture Ryukishi’s whiplashing tone shifts. Basically, it’s a matter of artistic inspiration, and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou has absolutely none.

Thank you for reading.

If you stumbled upon this article because you're curious about Higurashi and think you can start from here. This is the place for you. Don't worry. I won't include any spoilers at all. Now let me tell you, this is not a remake, a reboot, a spin-off, or any of that. It's a bonafide sequel. Whoever told you otherwise is a liar and should be ashamed of themselves. When it comes to the haters. Are there what seems to be what you call plotholes, or simply that things don't make sense? What did you expect? If you have watched the prequel and not wandered into ... Gou just cause, you'd know these things. I want to say I am honestly disappointed in those who dare call themselves fans of the visual novel. Did you even realize that Gou is by far the most consistent Higurashi to date that follows the style of the visual novel to the teeth and Ryukishi's writing? It's answering questions that only true fans are aware of from the prequel, expanding on topics hinted at in Higurashi, all the while establishing a proper connection to Umineko and even the newly WTC (When They Cry) visual novel Ciconia. On top of all that, while building upon the finer details from previous Higurashi. It's giving us a new story that still manages to retain the mysterious and other aspects we love from Higurashi. In other words, if you are a Ryukishi07 enthusiast. It doesn't get any better than this.

I have seen all kinds of nonsensical reasons to justify the hate. If you are talking about production being a hit or miss or other inconsistencies. I get where you're coming from, even if I don't entirely agree, but having seen all of Higurashi, followed by Gou. All this should have at least told you from a writing point of view that Ryukishi's the kind of writer that likes to confuzzle the audience, make them feel utterly lost, give them a reason to use the mind. Hence leave enough evidence and clues to give them a crack at solving the puzzle pieces. The WTC franchise has always been the kind of story where you have to go through the entire story to genuinely appreciate it because it's designed that way. We only got parts of the pages in the book, but many are still missing, though it will be filled by Sotsu when it rolls around 2021 07/07. Bless you, for that reference, Ryukishi07. Higurashi Gou is first and foremost a sequel. In which case, it means we got five seasons of Higurashi (Rei and Sotsu included). I cannot even begin to express my happiness at the thought of that. Ryukishi is known to write his story in a way where each work influences the other, making the experience richer and even savourier. Hence, reading another work from WTC might give you a completely new perception of what Higurashi as a whole is about.

It might make things even easier to follow or hard, depending on how you take it. Regardless, if you're done with Higurashi, I highly suggest checking out Umineko's visual novel or the manga (not the awful anime adaptation). Another masterpiece by the hands of Ryukishi. It'll definitely clear your mind and give you a completely new comprehension. Let me throw this out there the "origin of miracles" and the "origin of certainty." If you've read Umineko already, then you should know what I am hinting at here. I won't include direct spoilers as I want everyone the joy of figuring it out for themselves. After all, part of the fun about any entries of WTC (When They Cry) is being able to predict and theorize to your heart's content. Oh, not to mention witnessing how completely off the mark you are when your ideas fall flat as Ryukishi sneers at you. I will admit it was not cool of Ryukishi to introduce Gou as a remake or a reboot. That even the newcomers can watch it. Considering it spoils major chunks of Higurashi in the second episode. In contrast, in the first episode, things are not as clear. Sadly, not everyone knows that Ryukishi is a major troll that lies as naturally as he breathes. But you have to be lying to me if you said nothing felt off by the second episode. It's true Higurashi is meant to give you a sense of feeling lost, things not making sense, but Gou took that to another level. If you watched it without having seen previous installments, you could tell it was clearly not friendly to newcomers even for a bit, suggesting it might've been a sequel, which it happened to be.

There's no denying the new art's more lighthearted than the previous Higurashi, which might ruin the atmospheric tone for some. In my case, I love it. Why? Because it's the most faithful style to the visual novel, we've received yet. I adore the good old art-style from the Deen adaptation, too, but when it comes to expressions and comedy, it hits far stronger with this new style. The characters have never been so expressive without looking all messy and off-modeled, which is a recurring issue in the Deen version. Even voice-acting has been absolutely top-notch and cleaner, as you would expect with upgraded software and hardware. No, the production and direction are not perfect, but would you seriously call it terrible? Not even close. I have nothing but praise for Akio Watanabe's gorgeous and rich art-style and Keiichiro Kawaguchi's strong direction, which never made me wonder if I was watching anything but Higurashi. One specific episode was a genuine masterpiece, from the direction to the voice acting, to the shot composition, to the way the colors were used to emphasize the severity of the situation. Oh, let's not forget about the gore and the sound effects, which make you so uncomfortable that you have to turn away or cover your eyes. It was gruesome, but it also illustrated the unstable mind of a certain someone.

And Most of the few animation inconsistencies here and there can easily be fixed in the BD release. Studio Passione didn't even shy away from gore by giving us an early release of few uncensored episodes. Sadly, haters somehow found a way to insult it even that, failing to notice how good the effects, the tone, and brutality were. Trust me, this was gore without any limitations whatsoever. I was cringing like mad, had to even cover my eyes since it was truly a visceral spectacle. Don't get me wrong here. I loved it, even if it made me hold onto my gut as my life counted on it. Gou also got a manga adaptation that was released at the same time as the anime. It includes more details that anime cut out. The art-style of Tomose Akase is absolutely gorgeous, as is the execution of the tone and paneling. Think of the manga as a supplementary to the anime. It's amazing so far. Chapter comes out on a bi-monthly basis.

Did you know Higurashi has always been more of a mystery than a horror story, but not many seem to not understand that? Sure, the first part clearly had lots of jumpscares and other terrifying moments that made you jump out of your seat. But Higurashi always has been a circle of tragedies with a big dash of mystery to make you feel lost, question things, and so on. The unfamiliarity of Hinamizawa and the things going on there had us under the influence of paranoia. But at the end of the road, we got our answers, and we knew where and how to connect the dots. In Gou's case, it's trying to sell itself even more as a tragedy than horror. That might be why you don't feel as frightened, but you're straight out lying if you said you're not feeling lost either. An example of this is the iconic main theme of Higurashi. The original version has a more scary and paranoid vibe, while the Gou version sounds sad and emanates a feeling of loss and suffering. In other words, tragedy. Hopefully, you see the point I am trying to make here. Gou is a completely new take on our beloved Higurashi without losing key elements of the prequel. On another note, the soundtrack in Higurashi Gou is phenomenal and nails its relevant themes Gou is trying to showcase. We had Asaka on the opening, blessing us with a bopper track. Ayane returned again with more striking and beautiful tunes. Mind you, both songs include heavy symbolism, foreshadowing, context. Even the dialogue is super important. You can tell Ryukishi was there with Passion supporting them and instructing them as clearly, his fingerprints are everywhere.

Yes, I loved Higurashi Gou as if it was not obvious already, plus evidently, I am biased with it, but that's fine. I am not forcing you to take things I am writing her for granted. If I can offer you a new perspective and give you some value, then that's enough for me. I don't like seeing one of my favorite writers being insulted when haters aren't even able to provide logical reasoning to support their rant. So here I will state who Higurashi and WTC franchise as a whole is truly meant for. Are you on the lookout for a puzzle that might seem hazy not make sense at first, but gradually as the pieces get revealed, it falls in places? Do you love the idea of been giving the room to theorize and predict events? Then there you go. It's also worth noting, you need to patient, have your brain on at all times, be open-minded, able to think outside of the box. Higurashi is not meant for your average watcher or reader. What's so good about Higurashi? It's the fact Ryukishi utilizes details from his enormous WTC collection to build upon and expand the story further. Plus, he somehow makes things always connect when it seems impossible and does a wonderful job of explaining it. He writes the works to also gives out a very meaningful and emotional message that is relevant in the current day and even the past. If you are curious about more of those takes, I suggest reading my first Higurashi review, which also includes no spoilers and delves into characters, among other things. You can find it on my Anilist. I mainly wanted this review to show you why Gou was always meant to be a thing, should you watch it and dispel some of the hate it's been received by others.

In any case, Higurashi Gou is my favorite anime of the 2021 Spring season, and with Sotsu right around the corner. This new installment of Higurashi most likely will be my AOTY of 2021. My hats off to Ryukishi-sensei and the entirety staff off Passione. They killed it. If you have not already started Higurashi. I highly recommend it. Whether it be the superior visual novel, solid manga adaptation, or the a-okay but not even close to terrible anime. Sure, it's low-cost, but Deen nailed the atmospheric tone, even if many details from the manga and especially the visual novel got cut out. It's completely worth your time and a good way to dip your toes into WTC verse, even if it's not the best way and definite way to experience Higurashi. I didn't include any spoilers since Gou is so fragile that slipping some can ruin it completely. I want everyone to watch Higurashi and the second part of Higurashi, starting with Gou, ending with Sotsu. As blind as possible, you don't want to ruin this unique gem's once-in-a-lifetime experience. By the subtext, hints, even the writing, it's clear a lot of time and effort went into writing Gou. If you go ahead and reread Higurashi, you could see that it was even planned.

It should be noted, my score encompasses my enjoyment and the faith I have in Ryukishi when everything is complete, that's why it's already so high. Despite so, I also had moments where I was not entirely on board and failed to understand things in Gou, but in the last two arcs, I was completely absorbed into the story. I should've expected as much since I was lost during the very first Higurashi. Still, I was addicted the deeper I went into it. It tells me on a new rewatch, I will be able to appreciate it far more since now some key things do make sense. We know whodunnit, whydunnit, howdunnit, but clearly, there is a lot more story to tell. We have some of the keys to grasp certain details and comprehend them, even if the puzzle got holes left to fill. That's what makes Ryukishi such a brilliant writer since you know it's all intentional. There are hints of the events of Gou in the prequel even before it was a thing. You'd most likely only realize it first now since your perception will once again increase, alongside your passion for WTC. After all, this franchise is the kind of story that revisiting would be much more rewarding than the first time. Plus, reading other WTC works will again influence your feelings about other products from the WTC franchise.

At last, I want you to know Higurashi Gou (karma) is playing out like Kai because it answers parts of the questions but leaves the rest for a sequel. You might be confused about what's going on, but this will clearly be answered in Sotsu. All your worries will be laid to rest. The anime adaptation of Kai had two answers arc, so does Gou. But like prequel Higurashi, we might have eight arcs in total. Four of which are questions and the remeaning being the answers. In other words, Sotsu is the answer to all our questions. Plus, it will be the graduation, the ultimate closure to the whole Higurashi franchise. It's been going for over 20+ years, but Ryukishi can finally complete the whole puzzle at last. This is again hinting at Higurashi Gou always being planned. Don't even get me started on how Gou might be the segue into the events of Ciconia. If my words were able to pique your curiosity even slightly, take this chance to dip your toes in WTC, starting with Higurashi. Welcome to Hinamiazwa.

EDIT: (April 17, 2021): I actually disagree with the number I gave here but I can't take this down; it's the first time I got 70+ upvotes (T_T) lemme just say I don't like this anime enough to give it an 8 now...it was sort of okay in the beginning and got really bad in the middle but got just a little better later.
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The creators tried to find a balance which both newcomers and revisitors to Higurashi can enjoy. In the first 2 episodes, the attempt is evident by the inserting of novel cutscenes of Rika, made short for newcomers but nevertheless done for the ... sake of revisitors; and alongside the cutscenes, the usual progression of the storyline continues keeping it newer for revisitors as much as it is altered. I’d like to emphasize that the revisitor can feel positive elements subtracted from the original.

The creators’ balancing is an attempt that feels appreciable but not largely successful in the eyes of a revisitor. The revisitor feels it is a pity the newcomer will miss out on starting Higurashi believing that 'magic' doesn't exist as the 'magical' aspect of Higurashi is awaiting him at the beginning of season 2 for his fine tasting of 'plot-twist.' One of the ingenious aspects of Higurashi was this surprising holy conversion to being magical themed from being non-magical themed.

The new anime fails to outdo its predecessor in making him invest his emotions and concerns for the characters. In the original, the moments of sloppily drawn characters which gave some moments of laughter induced by good “tsukkomi - boke” comedy (Rena’s ‘Omochikaeri’ is sort of like this), and the melancholy dim orange gleam of twilight which would transport you back in time to a day that you saw that light without a worry in the world were factors in making the watcher invested and that this newer anime doesn’t have so far. The intermittent cartoonish art of the original allowed more creativity for scripting the character’s interactions to make them feel more playful, naughty, and caring for each other, which, in turn, are also such factors. Despite having watched only up to episode 6, I can still say with some confidence that such emotion-investing factors will be much weaker in this anime because of its short length, 24 episodes, compared to the lengthy 50 episodes of the original (season 1 and 2 combined), and I will continue to explain why below.

There is a problem with this slightly newer plot that might come from a subjective viewpoint and is only noticeable to a revisitor. While we're thankful for another season of Higurashi, it just feels all too imprudent to cast Rika down the pit again right after her salvation from it. This plot decision expands the rift between reality and the fictional by its inhumanity; for the revisitor, the reality is that this plot change (or plot addition) doesn’t exist and the fictional is this plot change itself. What normally follows salvation is a time of rest and comfort, but to give her no time to rest only accomplishes the reinstating that Rika is damned to Hell for eternity and removes a 'Happily Ever After' which many of us have now falsely believed in for over a decade. Not only is Rika thrown down the pit again, the spirit of Hanyuu hovering in front of her is now only a remnant of her actual self. So that's more than adding just a bit of garnish to that undesired plate of suffering there. (Rika cooly accepts Hanyuu's image as a remnant without much agitation though) - the creators just seem to be shouting at the pit, “Just burn in hell a little longer for us, Rika, so we can earn more money!” - This inhumanity confirms the suddenness and rashness of the plot change that had no foreshadowing failing to shrink the rift that is key to pulling the revisitor back into the anime. It may not be so for the newcomer because nothing is sudden and rash about something that is new!

However, after episode 4, the revisitor will feel that the newer plot additions are surprisingly admissible to at least a “B-” in his criteria of “good remakes.” He will go like, “Ah, so this is the path they are taking!” The creators are taking the path that has been in the back of the mind of a fervent ponderer of Higurashi’s plot, someone who spends a lot of time loving the story: “What if Keiichi were to have done ____ than that? What if that happened instead of that?” He can start to foretell what left of this anime is going to be solved, assuming that there was anything left unsolved in the first place. He may also feel a little optimistic about the future and eager to find out the greater happiness this newer anime may beget than the happiness achieved at the end of season 2 - this may be the driving source of the revisitor to continue watching.

While my next line of criticism I have isn't one that the creator is largely responsible for, I have to mention it. It is a problem for me that this new anime doesn't facilitate your reminiscence of June of 1983, a time long before many of us were born, by forgoing the normal artstyle: the old colorings, old anime hairstyles which bangs of great sizes were drawn in, (Rika's bangs used to be so much bigger), weird head-to-body ratio in cartoon scenes, cute cartoony Rena, and the recordings of cicadas' cries from what feels like the summer of 1983. The somewhat fuzzy and older artstyle itself seemed to testify that it came from that year. The mesmerizing sound of teeming bugs on trees varying in volume and always humming in the background made it feel like life undoubtedly exist in this world of Higurashi, a world whose main theme is so contradictory to that very idea; this sound transported you to the past, in which wildlife was actually more abundant due to less pesticides and environmental damage done by humans. One of my prime reasons for loving Higurashi was this nostalgic reminiscence, but this may not matter to most people.

This Higurashi is in a newer artstyle, with refined characters, and with less sloppy artwork, but I wish they kept the same character design and art style as from Higurashi Kira... Their hair always has gloss; like, is the sun really shining from that direction? I think I am seeing gloss not only on their hair but on their cheeks as well…

I highly recommend the newcomer to watch the original first and then this. The more I progress, the more this opinion gets solidified because the newcomer will miss out on some hints and turning points so subtle the newcomer would never imagine was a hint. The faster pace of this newer anime may be an advantage because the original first season felt like it was going nowhere at times due to the lack of a “solution” and the redundancy felt in season 1. Watching the original required some patience, which is not required for this new anime, but the way the original drags you into their world is of another level, which this anime can’t do with its fast-paced dialogue and the less artistic scenes for the lack of time. Indeed, the dialogue is sometimes so fast-paced (noticeable in episode 6) that I feel like I am more in a theatre watching live actors and actresses speak their lines than a motion-picture with smooth sequences.

Overall, the balance isn't mastered, but will most likely be effective to produce its desired result: to entertain both newcomers and revisitors. For the moments of shock and the shivering tension pulling the newcomer to the edge of his or her seat still seems to remain in this new anime.

In all categories: 8 out of 10, but when viewing it with the eyes of comparison to the original, 7 out of 10 in all categories except the semi-new plot, which I haven’t finished.

Death, taxes, and…reviving older franchises? Higurashi isn’t some ancient artifact but it’s been nearly 15 years since its TV anime debut. Higurashi is destined to get a new anime series and is here to make a statement.

The new Higurashi takes place 13 years since the last proper Higurashi anime. Originally, viewers thought the new show was a remake but soon realized that it’s actually an entirely new story. How about that? A new Higurashi with mystery thriller themes that fans have been anticipated for after all these years. Even for new fans, Higurashi demonstrates its ability to tell a suspenseful story through its complex characters ... and themes. Do you want to relive the Higurashi experience again?

To quite frank, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou has been somewhat of a niche show although it is popular among the visual novel community. It has even recently gained traction with its games on Steam and other gaming platforms. The anime had been planned out as a 2-cour (24 episodes) although was delayed for a full season. Helmed by studio Passione, you’ll quickly notice the visual change, especially the character designs. It’s been modified to fit more with more modern standards although the script is still handled by the one and only, Ryukishi07.

Yes, it’s a brand new story so to get the obvious of the way, can you watch this show without any knowledge of the franchise? The answer is both yes and no. While it does offer a new story experience, some of the recurring plot elements would be more enjoyable if you’ve seen the previous series. The new show is divided into 5 different arcs each telling a different story although with recurring elements. We start off with the first episode reintroducing the familiar cast including the iconic Ryuugu Rena. From this arc, we learn of the Curse of Oyashiro, a prominent recurring element of the overall franchise. We also learn of suspicious circumstances of mysterious deaths and disappearances in the fictional village Hinamizawa. From this arc, viewers will experience the darker secrets of the village and how each character roles is played. There’s also memorable moments such as Rena’s infamous door scene, her iconic ‘usoda!”, or Rika’s signature miko performances. To be honest, watching this new arc felt no less different than the old Higurashi. We have the familiar mood of a normal day that takes a 180 degree turn as unsettling secrets are revealed. Furthermore, it all leads to a climatic showdown complete with blood and gore. It’s the Higurashi way of selling its product and hits the right marks with what it does.

Following the sinister events of the first arc, we enter the Watanagashi-hen arc that features the prominent presence of Sonoaki Shion. In this arc, Shion is featured as an important character and plays an important role along with main protagonist Keiichi. The two develop a closer bond than ever although gets more and more complex as startling revelations begins to unravel itself. There’s also more characterization on Shion herself. In fact, it’s safe to say that Higurashi is well known for showing different sides of the main cast. Some characters desperately tries to hide their façade on the outside. For Shion’s case, she displays a level of vulnerability. And of course, you can bet that mystery plays a deep role again with the Oyashiro curse.

Unfortunately for some characters, they can’t seem to escape fate or the reality of abuse. Hojou Satoko is one such example as she is victim of abuse at the hands of her own uncle. In later chapters of the season, we see how mentally broken she is due to the effects. It’s a dark reality that highlights the sensitivity of the show. Given Satoko’s age, she’s the victim of child abuse and for someone so young, experiencing trauma will likely have life-long consequences. Luckily, she has friends and they lend a willing hand to help. Keiichi in particular plays a prominent role to try and bring Satoko out of the darkness.

By the time you’ve reached over half of the show and into the fourth arc, you’d have a general overall impression of this new season, right? Well, not entirely especially with how Rika’s motivation to change fate. In fact, fate itself seems to be an important theme of the show as characters try to fight against it, namely Keiichi in previous arcs. In the Nekodamashi-hen arc, we also find out Hanyuu’s role in relation to the supernatural and Rika’s connection to her. I won’t spoil it but do expect to see significant events that impact the Higurahshi franchise. In the final few episodes, there is even an entity with influence throughout the entire series. It’s especially important with everything that connects the season together and to see how far one entity goes to antagonize our beloved main cast.

Higurashi is an anime with psychological and thriller elements that tells a bold story with each arc. Who would’ve thought there’s also moments for comedy? If you’re a new fan of the show, do be prepared for lighthearted moments in the form of character chemistry. Keiichi is the frequent target of jokes as the girls loves to make fun of him. Whether it’s simple card games or putting on a lewd outfit (thanks Shion), there’s room for laughs this season. But make no mistake, Higurashi didn’t make its return to humor the audience. It came back to make a statement and that is to sell horror, thriller, and psychological contents. There’s blood, gore, and psychological breakdowns. Most of this is expressed through the human reactions of the cast, sometimes with extreme level of insanity. I’m sure older fans are also pleased to see old characteristics of the cast return such as Rena and Rika. I mean, who can ever forget Rika's adorable “nipah”?

And it takes a talented crew to portray the roles of the characters. I give praise especially to Rika’s VA this season for demonstrating the ability to play such a young child but also being able to quickly adapt into a more mature voice. The soundtrack and music also adds more suspense to the overall vibe of the show, something that Higurashi is infamous for doing. I sure hope you get used to the sound of cicadas because there’s plenty where that comes from.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou may feel overwhelming at first but with each episode, it’s important to know what the anime wants you to experience. Do you want to be surprised by the plot revelations or are you interested in seeing character development? It’s at some point in the series where you need to decide on how to approach this new season. To be quite honest, Higurashi is still mostly targeted a niche audience. And if you decide to be part of that audience, you’re in for a treat.

Higurashi Gou is a perversion of everything Higurashi was and aspired to be down to its characters, story and very themes, and it is a shining example of why we need to popularise Death of the Author when talking about media.

It is astounding to me that Ryukishi actually wrote this. I don't know if he bumped his head a little too hard or he's suffering from lockdown induced depression like all of us, but it's hard for me to believe this is the same pen that wrote the original visual novel, which I hold so so dear to my heart.

Perhaps he should never touch ... Higurashi ever again and focus on that other visual novel with the seagulls and murders. It's for the best.

First of all, I just want to be fully transparent by saying that although I've used myanimelist for quite a while now in order to find anime to watch, I've never made an account let alone made a review until today because of how absolutely livid I am that an anime of this level of quality has such an abysmal and, in my opinion, COMPLETELY inaccurate score.

Story: 10/10

So first off, I'm sure you've heard this from multiple reviews already, but I want to nevertheless reiterate that this anime is NOT A REMAKE; it is a sequel, and despite being briefly mentioned as something newcomers ... can enjoy, I highly recommend that you watch the original Higurashi anime by Studio Deen before watching Higurashi Gou.

Whereas the theme of the original Higurashi is all about overcoming inevitability by reaching out to your loved ones and not putting the entire burden on yourself, Higurashi Gou, without spoiling, is about what happens when you become too attached to the past without accepting and adapting to the reality that people and places change over time. It's a relatable story about the need to move on and live for yourself that's roughly the opposite (but not mutually exclusive) of what the original Higurashi anime is all about.

The horror and mystery of the original Higurashi is still very much present in this series. It's a slow burn during the first half - especially for Higurashi veterans - for a reason, but the payoff for said slow burn was VERY much worth it.

Art: 8/10

This time around, Higurashi Gou is animated by Studio Passione rather than Studio Deen. The art style is much more clean and "shiny" compared to the original, which some fans of the original will enjoy and some won't. Ironically, the character-model inconsistency in the original Higurashi was a strength as it gave an element of "distorted horror", especially with facial expressions; as a result, Higurashi Gou lacks that distorted horror element of the original series.

I personally find this completely understandable for Gou because questioning reality was a key part of the viewer experience as it relates to the mystery of Hinamizawa Syndrome and empathizing with its victims in the original Higurashi; Gou assumes that you are a returning viewer who's fully aware of its nature.

However, that's not to say that Gou doesn't do a good job of conveying its own brand of horror through its art. Its more realistic and fluid animation compared to the original makes the murder scenes hit much harder, and, without spoiling anything, one particularly fluid piece of animation in the first half of Gou has an amazingly horrific payoff around episode 14 (not the exact episode to avoid spoilers).

On a final note, the OP and ED are absolutely stellar, the OP being my favorite of all the Higurashi OP's.

Sound: 7/10

The sound is what I'd consider the weakest part of Gou. There's nothing exceptional or lackluster about it; the background music and silence compliment their respective scenes well, but nowhere near as well as the melancholic and spine-chilling BGM that made the original Higurashi such a well-known classic.

With that said, the music for the OP and ED is absolutely amazing and, rather than spine-chilling horror, conveys high-tension desperation more along the lines of "why do I hear boss music?" Shikura Chiyomaru completely blew it out of the park.

Characters: 9/10

There really isn't much for me to say here. The characters are the same as they were in the original Higurashi; if you liked them then, you'll like them here.

Enjoyment: 10/10

As someone who's into good mysteries, I can confidently say that I'm enjoying this anime more than any other anime currently airing this season, which is saying something since this season is stacked with amazing and understandably hyped anime like Re: Zero and Attack on Titan. With that said, if you aren't into detail-oriented mystery, graphically symbolic horror, or any of Ryukishi's previous works, you most likely will not like this anime. However, if you fit into any of these and have watched the original Higurashi, please give Higurashi Gou a shot.

EDIT: Just another note. For those of you who are turned off by the censorship in one of the early episodes, don't worry; later episodes are very much uncensored.

When this was announced, most people assumed it would be some sort of remake. I would have liked that to be honest. But this is actually a sequel, which kinda makes things…. Not work as well. Long story short, I enjoyed this a bit, but there are some big issues that would make me tell you to avoid watching this if you are a fan of the Higurashi series, since this may ultimately ruin it for you.

Seeing as I'm telling you it's a sequel, I'm hoping anyone that hasn't watched the original will stop reading by now (I do recommend you to watch the original ... if you want to watch a really good horror series).

So we all know how this series works, so if I'm telling you this is a sequel, yet it was being confused for a remake, we can all figure out what happened. For one reason or another, Rika is going through these loops again (this is made clear very early on, and is as much as I will outright 'spoil', don't worry). As I said before, I still enjoyed it a bit for what it was. Being able to enjoy higurashi again was nice for a bit. But why? Why is this happening? How was this able to happen? We had a pretty good resolution to the story, and forcing it to happen again doesn't really make sense to me. I will say, the actual story this time (which more or less starts 2/3 into the season) is different to before. However, I also feel as though it ruined many of the characters. As an addition to the series, this doesn't work too well. It only really ruins the series. If this would have actually just been a remake, it would have been nice. Bit unnecessary, but still nice. Instead we have a weird mix of sort of remake and sort of sequel for the first two-thirds of the show, and then an odd choice of actual outright "sequel" material for the last third.

So should you watch this? Well… Maybe? But probably not. Though I was able to enjoy the beginning of it for 'nostalgia' (I've only been watching anime for 2 years but still), if you want to go through some nostalgia, then just rewatch the original series. This doesn't seem to provide any actual benefit, and just ruins certain characters. Don't get me wrong though, if you don't completely mind, you may be able to think of this as an alternative path (that still requires knowledge of the originals), and this could provide some decent entertainment, as I got. But realistically, this is probably something to pass on.

This "3rd season" per se, is a long shot from its previous entries. My main concerns is its presentation although the story does have its problem in comparison to the original too.

Story(6)
More or less covering the same arcs as in the first season almost verbatim but with slight changes here or there. Maybe a different character does a thing slightly differently for the fanbase to theorize obsessivley over as to what it means, but so far, only the ending to each arc changes where a different character does the killing. I've seen people say "its good for both newcomers and OG viewers" but at most ... I would think new viewers will think the story is fine while OG viewers will be bored by the same story and off put by the visual/audio presentation. The OG had amazing direction that allowed the story to be told through visuals, but gou always either comes off as too flat or too tacky with its direction. Somewhat of an uncanny valley area where they didn't commit enough to the intensity so as to just look awkward.

Art(3)
FLAT. Artwork is too bright and makes everything look really flat. Hinamizawa has never looked more boring and the character designs are a mixed bag of mostly really bad, to a few characters who dont look half bad in this style(lookin at you Chie). Keicchi's design drives me insane. He looks way too babyish and his jacket is shit, I miss assault jacket keicchi... I think the arts biggest problem is that its just too clean. Clean artwork in most cases means animators take next to no risks trying to do something interesting and just try to make a servicable product, which this comes off as, a product. say what you want about even the first season, there was a lot of visual stylistic flourishes in those 2 seasons that made them the cult classics they are today unlike gou which will definitely deminish the shows rep imo.

Sound(4)
Voices are wierdly obnoxious in this. even though its the same voice actors(JAP), they are way too shouty for a lot of it(mainly keicchi). Also the characters quirks through dialog like rikas nipahs or satokos laugh are abused to hell and back as if to say that is the entirety of their character Renas voice is probably the standout performance. she does a solid job and still feels like Rena.
The ost isnt noteworthy, like the OG i guess, but the OP and ED are letdowns being kind of generic "horror/thriller" anime songs but some may like it. The first 2 OPS and the 2nd ED of the OG series are all legendary imo.

Characters(3)
I feel like the characters personalities are all stripped down signicantly in gou. Keicchi seems like a purely reactive character who can't do anything unless someone tells him to, taking away the moments where people recognise him as K is a diservice to my boi. He really is the character that gets the worst treatment in all of gou. All the other characters have there most obvious quirks inflated and abused, take Shion for example. She has serious anger issues in this and is constantly flipping her shit at any moments notice, while in OG, she would get pissed but her personality would actually fluctuate like a normal human being rather that just going from blissfully happy to batshit angry the next moment. Most side characters are insanely flat and one-note.
Also fuck that cat mouth thing they keep doing with all the characters, it is hideous as fuck and only serves to distract at every moment.

Overall, Gou is kind of a pointless entry as far as a I see it, a merchandising cash cow even, shoving as many recognisable elements from the orginal with reckless abandon just to make us go "duh, I remember that, duh, I cant wait to get that Rika in a septic tank figurine". As far as Im concerned, Higurashi finished with the OVA's after the second season. If they wanted this to be a continuation, they should have maybe written one or two completely new scenarios for the characters seeing as they can be endless with Rikas whole situation.

"It’s not that hard to write a sequel, expand on characters and story in meaningful ways, and try to make it as good or better than the original. For most people, the standard was the original Deen anime from 2006-2007, and for a sequel to not even begin to reach the quality of that, let alone the original VN, is… well… maybe it just shouldn’t have been made in the first place.

Gou is unique in that, if you’ve consumed any Higurashi content before it, it will actively hinder your experience while watching it. Yes, you will have a worse time watching a sequel if you've ... already watched the original. I am not joking. A massive reason for this is the fact that half of Higurashi Gou is glorified recap; the first three arcs are adapted straight from the 2002 VN with detailed differences and a changed conclusion to serve the new narrative. This is why, if you’ve consumed Higurashi in any shape or form before this, it’ll likely bore you half to death. The episodes add absolutely nothing of value to the characters and even trivialize their arc and development from the original, making them somehow less of a character. These arcs only exist to serve the new narrative and to make sure newcomers aren’t too confused… which is so… completely backward.

Promotional material is mostly harmless; it’s literally just advertising, and that’s what it should be. I can’t decide whether I love the trailer for Gou or detest it. On one hand, it was a decently funny bait-and-switch, advertising the show as a remake of a beloved VN to then be revealed as a sequel in episode 2, and on the other hand, it would’ve been much better as a remake. This isn’t even mentioning the swarm of first-timers to the series starting off with Gou, partially due to the fact that the original Higurashi has become rather hard to watch legally. The original Higurashi Deen anime was… good, I guess, but to say it was totally faithful to the original and used its time wisely is just wrong. I was so hyped for a remake because of this, so you can imagine my dismay when I found out it wasn’t.

Shock factor in place of depth and horror.
If you’ve ever seen the original, I should hope that you came to the conclusion that the “horror” of it came from the artistically crafted plot and impactful death scenes. Taking the beginning of the original VN as an example, it starts with an ambiguous, repetitive bashing sound over Keiichi’s inner monologue as he commits an atrocity we have yet to see. It’s insightful, it’s mysterious, and most of all, it’s impactful. Then we come to Gou, which throws all meaning out the window and replaces it with unsettling images and sounds. Sure, it’s more in line with the traditional idea of “horror = scary,” but it’s such a poor choice considering the themes of the original. I’m not even saying it did the unsettling images and sounds particularly well either; they’re not thought out or even scary, really. Most of the death scenes result in the entire room they're in being absolutely covered in blood, no matter what weapon they’re using, and even ignoring the blood, everything from the characters to the animation falls in line with your typical slasher, rather than the psychological horror it’s supposed to be. And that’s the one thing anime does incredibly poorly; slashers succeed in scaring their audience due to it being live action and therefore relatable to an extent. Anime can’t do that, for obvious reasons.

It’s just not scary. In any sense of the word.

I honestly feel bad for the voice actors, who continuously put up a stellar performance no matter the quality of the Higurashi content they’re featured in. They’re one of the shining stars that I got from scraping the bottom of the barrel in terms of compliments to give the show. It’s astonishing how they can put up this good of a performance even after 14 years of voice acting for the franchise, and I have endless praise for all of them. Though when it comes to the new coat of paint the sequel got, I’m not so kind. I really, really thought about this, and I prefer the original art and animation. Intentional or not, the bad art and questionable animation definitively set a tone that matched the narrative of the show. Gou’s just feels so bland and basic; it doesn’t change to match specific tones presented by the plot, nor is it good (This does NOT include the EDs, which were amazing). It’s “good,” don’t get me wrong, but that’s all I can give it, and it links back into my argument about the lack of depth the show has, and I think the animation is a rather nit-picky example of that.

I’ve held off talking about the main issue of the first season so far, which is undoubtedly the story and pacing. The pacing is so incredibly inconsistent in the worst places. Take, for example, the first 13 episodes. I know I’ve mentioned them a lot, but I cannot stress enough just how bad they are, and I will keep talking about them until I’ve convinced you. As I said before: “half of Higurashi Gou is glorified recap.” This by itself isn’t a bad thing; however, none of it is cut. Despite being a sequel, it goes out of its way to explain almost every single thing we should already know by this point. And as a result, it just feels like you’re watching the original Deen anime again. This isn’t even contained to the first 13 episodes; parts of Sotsu and later in Gou we get Matsuribayashi-hen recap when plot should be taking place.

In a post-episode 13 world, the plot does actually happen, and the story makes meaningful progress for the first time in 4 hours. It arguably gets worse. The pacing goes into overdrive to the point where major character development is cut down into 4 episodes. It gets worse. Out of those 4 episodes, only roughly 2 of them (2 halves of 2 episodes put together and 1 good episode) have any meaning, while the others are relegated to padding and murder scenes. The murder scenes in particular could’ve been done well; all they would need to do is portray Rika’s active thought processes and mental deterioration in a meaningful way as she was being killed, but all they gave us were a few lines of dialogue from her each scene, most of them being completely irrelevant.

Funnily enough, Gou’s peak was when it was acting as it was meant to be from the start, a sequel to the original. The main characters get nice development, and the story that ended from the original is directly continued.

The second half of the arc is where the actual answers are revealed to us, and most importantly, we get to see one of the best characters from the original go down a dark spiral called bad writing. Some of the decisions made here are so bad and frankly disrespectful that I couldn’t take any of them seriously. It also clearly shows that the writer has no understanding of human emotion, with many events that should’ve at least put a strain on the main character's mental state just further fueled their questionable motivation for their even more questionable goal.

Now I have no doubt that the higher-ups at studio Passione had some influence in how this was written. Considering the general outside perspective of Higurashi, especially the anime, being along the lines of a murder-thriller with lots of gore and violence, they likely pushed the people actually making the show in that direction because they thought it would make a decent profit.

Overall, this show is really bad; I hate it from the bottom of my heart, and nothing is likely to change that.

Remember: It’s not canon if you don’t like it; just forget it existed and move on with your life. - Me, when this first aired."

I have watched the Higurashi anime, read Umineko, and recently just finished Ciconia Phase 1, I am a WTC fan.

What I am not a fan of is this steaming pile of garbage called Higurashi Gou, all I want to say here is that if this was actually, for real, written by Ryukishi, maybe he should give up writing since it seems clear that he does not even understand his previous works, from characters (who are completely butchered, cut down to one-dimensional NPC's with one-liners, ignoring their complex personalities and motivations) to even the story and its themes (which are ignored for the sake of continuing ... the story, nullifying everything our protagonists went through and fought for; long story short, it completely misses the point of its own story), and basic elements of a mystery show/novel, such as tension and suspense, which feel extremely poorly done compared to Studio Deen, nothing of what made the original good is in any way, shape, or form shown to have been understood in this "sequel", which R07 claimed to be a good starting point for new viewers (lol). I'm using "sequel" in quotations because this was a completely unnecessary anime. The original Higurashi ended just fine, we had a satisfying conclusion, so, I'd like to know, who asked for a new season with a plot this downright stupid compared to the source material? I'm not sure what counts as a spoiler and what doesn't so I won't get into it, but other reviews do a better job of summarizing the plot. The art is okay, not the best, not the worst (though it has a large amount of gore compared to Studio Deen's adaptation for absolutely no reason other than shock value) and the soundtrack is pretty mediocre, but these two are the least of Gou's problems.

I do not recommend this to fans of Higurashi, it feels like a very cheap cash grab, meant to just milk money out of the fans of this franchise (and a majority of fans seem happy with this blatant fact) and not something written out of passion and love for the When They Cry universe. I am however hoping to be proven wrong, at least story wise, with Sotsu, though I am not holding my breath for that.

* MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD *

A word of advice before entering this series, this show will give you trust issues, you will start suspecting everyone and will never make friends again. And with that in mind let's start this review.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni gou(referred to as gou) is your average harem with one dude in a school with 4 of his female friends. 1 tsundere, 1 girl overly obsessed with cute things(questionable definition of cute) and two lol... I mean young girls. How could thins show ever be interesting in the mountain of the harem that comes out every season, right?

WRONG

This show is anything but ... cute, well there are some cute moments and all, but the main themes are never lost, which is of suspicion and fear of everyone. gou is a remake, or a better word would be reimagination, or a sequel(basically it does not follow the same story or outcomes) of the original Higurashi series which has 2 seasons and the 3rd season of 5 episodes, back in the 2010s. This show can be watched by new viewers, but I think it is more fun to watch it after watching the original series as some events occur earlier then the original and the ending are completely different from the original series.

STORY-9(spoilers)

Gou is a show which takes place in the small town of Hinamizawa, which is a mysterious town in which every year on the cotton drifting festival, 1 person dies and 1 disappears, the protagonist Maebara Keiichi moves to hinamizawa from the town due to undisclosed reasons, where he meets 4 girls and becomes friends with them. All seems fun and happy, till the cotton drifting festival, where the shit goes down. And it goes down like hell, with various unprecedented situations occurring one after the other with no apparent reason. I really like the story of Higurashi which is not too much of horror(I am not very good with horror), but more phycological and suspenseful, so you should definitely give it a try.

ART-8

I find the art to be better than that of the original series, not sure if this is my personal opinion cause I like newer animations. the character designs are done so well that they can adapt both for the cuteness of the characters as well as the scary faces and expressions.

SOUND-8

The sound seems better and more diverse as compared to the original series, with perfect timing for the serious scenes and the fun scenes and a good cut for when they get serious. The series is much scarier with the changing sounds and silence.

CHARACTERS-9

There is no point in talking about the characters since that would ruin the fun, so rather just expect unique character traits.

ENJOYMENT-9

I am really enjoying Gou and can't wait to see how this series changes and grows from the original series.

OVERALL-9

Whether you are a newbie or an old viewer of Higurashi, you should expect some good scares and chills up your spine, cause this is a show that will make you look out your window to see that no one is spying on you.

Umm yeah, i Re-Create this review after i see the 7th eps of this anime.
now here we go... my review-style about this anime

First. THIS IS NOT HIGURASHI NO NAKU KORO NI REMAKE!
i should underline this things... because if you guys come here to see, the remake of 2006 higurashi, i think you absolutely wrong, because this anime have some kind of "different arc" to the higurashi back to 2006

Second, is when you haven't see higurashi series yet or maybe the early "higurashi 2006" i think you SHOULD and MUST see that first, to understand how this anime going, because i see, so much people talking ... "this is bad anime" after they watch the next day of the story which is have a time loop (i dont understand how to explain this but what i mean is, they just dont understand why this anime comeback to past and starting from begining again)

Third, IF YOU THINK YOU UNDERAGE OR YOU LIKE ANIME LIKE... KNY, AND DONT UNDERSTAND HOW Steins gate, and other anime that have complex story... PLS DONT WATCH THIS ANIME... YOU WON'T ABLE TO UNDERSTAND THIS....

Now go to the core... Why you should and shouldn't watch this anime....
this anime when i about to describe... this have
Psychological, Horror, Gore, Story Heavy, Small amount of comedy and school life... the type of horror is not about the ghost or anything like that... but the "ghost" is that player itself...
And remember my word... if you doesn't like something that horror, or gore (killing and others), and also anime that have story... you shouldn't watch this anime... this not about a ninja that kill any enemy... but the core of this anime is inside the conversation between the character and some of visual...

Next is why this anime should not be called "remake of the higurashi"
that's because you never find the exact keyscene on the original version....
and also when you watch this anime, and already have the original ones.... i think you will be realize some of the aspect that no explained on the original version.... like who guys that on the white fan... etc...

you can says... this anime is expansion of the original ones... so yeah... this worth for you that need something to watch on this season... especially horror-Psychological-Gore anime...

and like what i said earlier... if you doesn't like anime that have complex story, horror or something like that... you shouldn't watch this anime...
and like i said... if you think "KNY" is the best story ever on anime world, and you think "steins gate" or some anime that have heavy story is "weired" i think this Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gou (2020) is not for you :)

that's my review and also answer for you that find this anime "weired" so yeah... if you need other anime... you can search the other anime that suit to you...
thanks for read my review
sorry for my bad english

Higurashi Gou was originally marketed as a remake that could be enjoyed by newcomers just as much as existing fans of the series. However, in its attempt to please both audiences, it fails at doing both. I would instead recommend that any newcomers go and watch the 2006 anime, and only watch this one if you have a strong desire to see everything you liked about the old one get ruined.

The animation is not bad on its own. However, Higurashi is about horror and mystery, so the bright colors and moe character designs fit poorly here. There are also some scenes that could have had ... better direction, such as the "uso da" scene (compared to the original 2006 anime). Other scenes made poor use of lighting (the inside of the shed in Watadamashi was too dark) or just left some things to be desired, but those are just minor nitpicks.

The soundtrack is actually lifted straight from the original anime, so it fit well with most scenes. Although I do enjoy the new OP and ED songs, I don't think they fit Higurashi as well as the original ones, but they are good to listen to on their own.

Now with the good parts out of the way, let's dive into the absolute trainwreck of its story.

The first episode is almost a shot for shot remake of the first episode of the original series, and if the rest of the season had played out this way, I think Gou would have done quite well. But starting with the second episode, there was an immediate divide in the fanbase, and that divide only became stronger with each passing episode. We learn that the story takes place AFTER the original had already ended. So it cannot be a remake -- it is truly a sequel taking place after the events of the original anime, which goes against all of the marketing material leading up to this moment. A major plot twist (from the SECOND season) of the original anime is also revealed immediately, which is fine if the story is a sequel. But again, this was advertised as a remake, and so now anyone who watches this anime BEFORE going back to the old one is going to have the original experience ruined.

The 2006 anime was a story of horror and mystery, so spoiling a major plot twist does significant damage to the overall experience. Unfortunately throughout the season, Gou continues to spoil these major plot elements, but without giving them enough context for anyone new to the series to actually appreciate (without going back to watch the old series). So Gou is not enjoyable because you don't know enough, but the original is no longer enjoyable because you know too much. That is primarily why I can't recommend any newcomers to watch this anime.

So how does Gou's story hold up to viewers who have seen the original anime? Well if you were expecting Gou to be anything like the original, you would be mistaken. There is not much horror or mystery here, and what is present is done so poorly that it can't ever be taken seriously -- a fight scene early on results in massive pools of blood that make JJBA's blood splatter look realistic. There are so many contrived plot conveniences that I can't even list them all here.

The first half of Gou is a pseudo retelling of each arc of the original anime, with a few subtle differences and then a big spin on each ending. Unfortunately, these twists make the arcs significantly worse from the viewer's perspective. The underlying themes and messages of each arc are destroyed in favor of creating a "mystery" to try and solve. Who is behind these changes, how are they doing it, and why? Although each arc was once an engaging and thrilling story in their own rights, for veteran fans it is mostly stuff we've seen before but with a worse ending. So the whole experience is painfully slow and boring to watch.

The second half of Gou is actually new content, but it completely ruins everything that came before it. It spends much of its time giving away the answers to the questions from the first half, but those answers are incredibly disappointing. They also contradict the themes of the original story: "trust your friends and work together to overcome fate". It's likely that was an intentional subversion of the theme (because Ryukishi likes to do that kind of thing) but I think it ruins what was otherwise an incredible story with a positive message. What exactly is the message of Gou? "Nothing is sacred?"

What really bothers me about all this is the fact that everything is so shallow. The first half only exists because of the second half, which doesn't really need to exist at all. The original story was resolved, but suddenly people start acting out of character to cause really petty drama which results in a re-telling of the original story... I just don't understand the point of the show. Who are we supposed to be cheering for? It seems like the point of the story is to find a way to end the story, which is kind of a silly story to start telling in the first place. It all seems like a waste of time.

I know that when Ryukishi wrote visual novels, the pacing was always terrible, but I guess this is that kind of thing in anime form. Scenes are unnecessarily long and most of the time show you things you already know. Much of Gou's time is spent re-telling parts of the original series, so it seems like not only a waste of time but also the animation studio's money and efforts. If you're going to have 24 episodes, there was plenty of content that could have been animated instead. Creating new arcs like the ones only briefly shown in Nekodamashi were more interesting and could have actually entertained both old and new fans. Or focus on the St. Lucia school and actually expand more on that setting and its characters. Almost anything could have been better than how Gou actually turned out.

The characters in the original story were all deeply expanded upon and relatable, but in Gou they are all extreme caricatures or just forgotten as the plot demands it. The antagonist's motivation is so childish and petty that it's not just unbelievable but also totally out of character. The way they go about causing mayhem is also horribly contrived, and while technically it is feasible for someone to pull off, it is massively out of character for that particular person. The culprit is not a human, but an exaggerated caricature who can plan and pull off crazy tricks like something out of Tom & Jerry.

It was also painfully obvious from the second episode that most of the story is only happening to "connect the dots" between Higurashi and Umineko. This was so obvious that I can't consider that to be any part of the mystery. It also seems like every aspect of the plot is trying to force this end result to happen, rather than organically occur based on the characters' original personalities. As much as I like Umineko, I don't think it was worth destroying Higurashi to make this happen. Or at least, it could have been done in a better way.

The final episode of the season resolves nothing, and we must wait for Sotsu (the next season) to air before we get an actual conclusion to this disaster of a story. I will still probably watch it because I want to see where this goes, with a small bit of hope that maybe this story can be saved somehow, but I'm not getting too excited, either.

Remember when a new Higurashi Anime was announced and advertised through PVs, CMs, and visuals, which looks pretty much a remake. Surprised it isn't, classic Ryukishi07 trolling his audience.

Higurashi Naku Koro ni Gou is certainly a sequel as it presents the arcs in a similar structure that parallels with the earlier arcs from the original Higurashi. This could work as entry Higurashi for new watchers, but the problem is they showed supernatural powers or scenes earlier on, as opposed to Original Higurashi, which was only revealed later. Watching or reading earlier arcs of Higurashi, we're supposed to think as a mystery horror. But since supernatural ... powers were revealed earlier in Higurashi Gou, people will think through supernatural and real perspectives to deduce what is going on. The ending arc of this new Higurashi pretty much gives us the background of what is going on, why Rika is repeating the loops almost the same as her experiences back in the original Higurashi, even if she did something to prevent the tragedies. So if you feel like your not getting something new, bear with it and go watch it till the ending arc, there's something new there. I like the Higurashi series, so I hope this new entry to the Higurashi series will be worthwhile.

The studio working with this new Higurashi is studio Passione, which is known for animating ecchi shows like High School DxD Hero and Interspecies Ishuzoku Reviewers. Akio Watanabe did the character designs. He is known for the Monogatari and Grisaia series character designs. For me, I'm not used to its too moe design and shiny palette to the characters of Higurashi anime. The lighting is a hit and miss. Mostly a miss, when they do a dark scene. When it's dark, it's certainly dark, you can barely see, which to me is not a problem back in the original Higurashi anime.

The iconic Cicadas sounds are still present, it gives me a nostalgic feeling. As opposed to the original Higurashi or the prequel, Higurashi Gou has less of an eerie atmosphere and is more lenient to Slice of Life. It's not a bad thing, but if you're expecting more of a tense feeling similar to the Original Higurashi, you'll only get enough to shiver. The OP and ED are good in their way, they are upbeat but still gives a tense feeling, compare to Original Higurashi OP and ED, which are mellow and eerie.

Higurashi Naku Koro ni is one of those prime examples of anime that is successful horror anime done right. It could frighten you or at least give you a suspense feeling. Hopefully, the sequel will give us satisfying answer arcs and be as a successful piece of entertainment as its prequel.

Sorry for my english, I'm Brazilian so... I'm not very accustomed to write in english, but I did my best. Also, this review may contain some minor spoilers, but I did my best to not spoil anything great.
Oh man, I didn’t wanted to do the review that I’m about to do, but I feel compelled to do one as a longtime fan of the When They Cry series (both Higurashi and Umineko).

Where should I start? Well, I'll start with what I think is perhaps the main reason for this low score. First of all, what is the central message, the main theme of the original ... series? Is the violence? The gore? The horror? Nope. The main theme of the original series has always been and always will be: friendship, trust, hope and a desperate struggle against a terrible fate. And now I’ll question: What is the central message of Higurashi Gou? Higurashi Gou (despite having a complexity even worthy of the When They Cry series) is a empty anime. It seems that Ryukishi07 didn’t know how to get the essence of his own work, because Higurashi Gou is anythig, except Higurashi. (He was so lost that he said the series was a "newcomer friendly", yeah of course, the 4th season of something will be very “newcomer friendly”, ONLY in your head Ryukishi...)

Second problem: What need was there for a sequel after Higurashi Rei? The story was already well closed with only 1 loose end that could be resolved in only 1 OVA. Still it was decided to do an unnecessary sequel that all it did was step on the legacy of the original. Practically nothing that made Higurashi a masterpiece is present in Gou.

These were just general problems, but there are more specific ones like: Many of the scenes that apparently do not make sense to an experienced fan of the series are explainable, except, for example, of Keiichi breaking down the prison door and Ooishi using cheat and unlocking infinite ammo. Another thing that doesn't make sense is the motivation of the main villain of Gou. While in the original the main villain had an excellent motivation to do what (s)he does, in Gou the motivation of the new villain is very, very weak.

Now that I got to this subject, let's talk about characters. And once again Ryukishi lost his touch (I'm starting to lose my faith in you man). The characters in Gou are nothing more than a shallow, stereotyped version of themselves. Let's look at the main characters:

Rena:
Original: Character with several emotional problems and internal discussions, and therefore, despite her cute exterior, she can be extremely unstable; it is very smart.
Gou: “kyuute mode” + bipolarity (as her internal conflicts are not shown).

Keiichi:
Original: An idiot, but with a good heart, determined to help his friends and not to stop fighting until the end to save them. He has his moments of intelligence.
Gou: An idiot, indecisive (always needs the attitude of some other character to take the initiative), dumb and shallow.

Rika:
Original: Extremely complex character and with attitudes and personality extremely compatible with everything she went through.
Gou: Complex character, but with extremely incompatible attitudes towards everything she went through.

Satoko:
Original: Interesting character, cute, emotionally strong after everything she went through, very attached to Keiichi, Shion and Rika.
Gou: Quite complex, but... traps everywhere, attitudes incompatible with what she went through, fanatic for Rika.

Mion:
Original: Epic character, she is the glue, the conscience of the group, the most reliable character, puts herself at risk without even thinking twice for the sake of her friends.
Gou: Character shallow and left out (there was only one moment that made us remember how important she is).

Shion:
Original: Very complex and well crafted character, one of the best characters in the series.
Gou: ????? Totally forgotten.

The direction of Higurashi Gou is also very lost, many of the moments of tension and horror have totally lost their impact (compare the scenes of the "usoda").

The art itself I really liked, but the direction fails so much in some scenes that end up turning suspense into involuntary comedy (hi Akasaka).

Good soundtrack, it's nowhere near the level of the VN or even Deen's adaptation, but the opening and ending songs are good.

Enjoyment: Would you enjoy yourself watching one of your favorite works being ruined? Yeah, me neither. I will now read the VN or the manga again to detox from Gou. Higurashi Gou doesn't exist (just like Umineko's anime), Higurashi's anime ends in Rei. Go watch Deen's adaptation, read the manga or VN (preferably the latter two), run away from Gou with all your might.

I initially made a review after 8 episodes and I rated it a 6. I thought this would be a remake, but it's a sequel, so I treated it harshly. Although I would've loved a remake + sequel, a sequel with bits from the 1st and 2nd season is not too bad. I like it now, but it was hard to digest it initially.



NO SPOILERS AHEAD.

To start things off, I want to mention that I initially wanted this show to be a full remake, but after 16 episodes, It ... became clear to me: this is not a remake, but a sequel that starts off by making the first half into a recap of the story AND serves as a base for the content that will follow. 'Thus I suggest watching the first and second season from 2006, even if they are done by the infamous Studio DEEN.

STORY:The story follows the same method as the previous seasons: 4-episodes arc, the first two are, so far, almost identical with its counterpart from the first season. The last two episodes of the arcs try to compile both its counterpart from the 2nd season AND the counterpart from the first season. Or so it seems? In reality, it tries to accentuate what this season is trying to say, but I won't spoil it. When I think of Gou as a sequel, it makes sense. Take it as a remake and it looks like an insult to the source material. I give it a 10/10.

ART:The art is good, in my opinion. Someone said it's worse than what DEEN did in 2006, but I think he is either blind or he did not watch the 2006 animation. Looks too bright, but it goes in contrast with the gore so I like that. 8/10

SOUND: I initially did not like that they didn't reuse the intro from the 1st season (they used that intro at the end of the 1st episode), but I grew to like the current one. The other sounds are also great, no complains here, so 10/10.

CHARACTER: I get it: it's a remake, so they shouldn't get too much into the characters. But how can you reduce them to only their specific trait and remove everything else? They sound...retarded, for a lack of a better word. They were supposed to be the bridge between the Slice-Of-Life feeling the anime has and the Gory elements it revolves around. I give it a 5/10 because Rika is carrying everyone.

ENJOYMENT: A 9/10 minus the over-simplified characters. I definitely enjoy watching it, I am unsure however whether this will be a memorable sequel or a harsh sequel. Since everyone thought it's a remake, many treated it harshly.

OVERALL: 8/10 -- Would've gone up to 9, maybe a 10, if the characters weren't so simplified. At this part, DEEN made a much better job, surprisingly. The fact that they kind of tried to give us bits from the first and 2nd season in the first half of the show was something I did not like initially, but looking at it now, I think it's a great choice.

I suggest that you read the manga, since there is a Manga adaptation and it looks and feels very clean. I initially thought that the manga is the original source material, but I was wrong. This series is one of my favorites, I love horror-mistery-time-travelling shows, too bad there aren't many of this kind.

I've seen many bad anime, but I have never felt the need to write a review to express the sheer frustration with an anime I have felt before now. Higurashi Gou is an offense to both the legacy that its predecessors have created, as well as a stain on the otherwise amazing track record of Ryukishi07.

As a sequel, it retroactively detracts from many elements of Higurashi, and also undermines the respectability of characters from both it and Umineko as well. Considering how as a standalone anime this show would be even more of an utter mess, it is not only fair to measure it up ... against the stories from which it attempts to associate itself with, but necessary, as this show presents itself as an heir to them.

The story exists only for its own sake, switching between sloppy and rushed remakes of original arcs with a wacky twist, to inventing new conflicts that are fundamentally flawed. These new conflicts are not even given enough screen time to pan out, as the show decides to leave a cliffhanger for another season to resolve the only new conflict they created, despite feeling they had the time to have completely unnecessary episodes about the most unrelated events, such as an entire episode devoted to everyone's favorite character, Satoko's Uncle, literally right before the final episode of the season. Another instance of this is how many more episodes than were needed were devoted to the arc revolving around the protest to help Satoko. This was followed by an entire episode of loli gore porn because the pacing of the show needed to pick up so they just compiled as many deaths as they could into a 20 minute timeframe. I've never seen an anime somehow simultaneously suffer from the need for more time to explain things and from having so much time that they waste it, but somehow Gou manages to do both.

The art and sound is decent, recycling only a fraction of the original Higurashi's amazing score, while using the Monogatari style moe blobs that some people might enjoy but to me feels completely out of place in Higurashi

The characters are probably the worst aspect of Higurashi Gou, and I'm saying this as a huge fan of both Higurashi and Umineko. It's one thing to take characters who act/think one way and have them do something uncharacteristic or unrealistic to their characterization(as this show also does). But its another thing to have them do 180 degree character flips and become psychopathic yanderes who would rather horrifically torture their closest friend. It takes a special kind of ineptitude to make murdering friends in Higurashi seem out of place, yet Gou manages to do so. I'll try to stay away from too many spoilers, so to explain it, a character feels spited by the growing distance between themselves and Rika (that they partially imposed on themselves). This spite eventually leads them to brutally torture and kill Rika over and over, despite learning about Rika's decades of torment in Hinamizawa and gaining the ability to loop as well. Instead of using the newfound looping abilities to repair their friendship, the person decides the best way to fix it is to become the very nightmare that they know Rika has tried so desperately to escape. The goal? Make Rika like them and stay in Hinamizawa. Ah yes, by becoming the thing they hate, that will make Rika want to stay with them. This person is under no effects of Hinamizawa syndrome or any other capacity reducing phenomena, and decides of their own free will to kill Rika. They've already displayed that they are smart enough to resolve the problem by cheating on tests to stay in the same class, or by simply not refusing to hang out with Rika when invited to. But no, they become certain they have to kill Rika because someone has to kill Rika for the plot to exist. To make matters worse. other characters like Rena, Shion, Keiichi, ect, are completely sidelined and given no focus whatsoever, their only appearance on screen is to allow them to give one of their classic quotable lines and maybe a few shots of fanservice and nostalgia baiting.

Needless to say, my enjoyment of Higurashi Gou was not very high. And to be honest, I'm surprised there are some Higurashi fans that actually enjoyed this trainwreck. I want to believe that they would probably be the very type of Goat people that the writer criticizes in their work, however the fact that Ryukishi himself wrote this deeply concerns me. I hope this anime can be wiped from collective memory just like the Umineko adaptation attempt has been.

If I was asked to compare this to the original Higurashi, I'd smack the person asking across the face. The show to compare this to is not Higurashi, but Higurashi Kai.

Higurashi Gou at first looks like a remake, but it becomes apparent by the end of the first episode that something's off, and by the second that it's a sequel to the events of Kai. As a result, this affects not just the content of the story, but the tone. For those of you who have forgotten or have not seen the original, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is largely a Horror/Suspense show with a ... mystery brewing in the background that doesn't really come to the forefront until the end. Kai, on the other hand, is a Mystery/Thriller story that uses the original as an argument for WHY you should be worried for the characters--the horror is largely abandoned in favor of identifying the culprit and surviving the scenario.

While Gou does attempt to capture some of the horror of its first season, the structure and characterization clearly leans more towards the Mystery/Thriller tone of the second season. More of the run time is dedicated to asking questions than exploring or exploiting the paranoia of its characters. This is fine if you go into it expecting a mystery, but I feel like many people, newcomers especially, went into the show expecting horror. That said, as a mystery, Gou still has the excellent levels of polish and intrigue that I've come to expect from the author.

Of course, if you saw and enjoyed Higurashi and Higurashi Kai, this show is a must for you.

8/10 so far. May upgrade to a 9 if it sticks the landing.