When They Cry

Season 3: 5

***Higurashi When They Cry*** (Japanese: ひぐらしのなく頃に, Hepburn: *Higurashi no Naku Koro ni*, lit. "When the Evening Cicadas Cry"), known simply as ***When They Cry*** for the North American release of the anime adaptation, is a Japanese murder mystery dōjin soft visual novel series produced by 07th Expansion. The games are built on the NScripter game engine and the Microsoft Windows operating system. The first game in the series, *Onikakushi-hen*, was released on August 10, 2002, and the eighth and final game in the original PC series, *Matsuribayashi-hen*, was released on August 13, 2006. While the first four games carried the overall title *Higurashi no Naku Koro ni*, the next four games were produced under the title *Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai*. A bonus fan disc called *Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei* was released on December 31, 2006. In addition to the original series, new story arcs were created in manga form and in video games for the PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS, in order to expand the story. The original eight PC releases were released in English by MangaGamer between 2009 and 2010. The series focuses on a group of young friends living in the rural village of Hinamizawa and the strange events that occur in 1983.

Two sets of drama CDs were produced, one by Wayuta and the other by Frontier Works. Novelizations of the game series were released by Kodansha Box between August 2007 and March 2009. A manga series adapted from the games began with eight different manga artists working separately on one to three of the multiple story arcs and were published by Square Enix and Kadokawa Shoten. The manga was licensed for release in English in North America by Yen Press under the title *Higurashi: When They Cry* and the first volume was released in November 2008. Following the manga's release in Japan, two anime television series were produced by Studio Deen in 2006 and 2007; a third anime adaptation was released as an original video animation (OVA) series in 2009. The first anime series was licensed by Geneon Entertainment in English in 2007, but the license expired in 2011. Sentai Filmworks has since licensed both anime seasons and the *Rei* OVAs. A live-action film adaptation of the series, directed by Ataru Oikawa, premiered in Japanese theaters in May 2008, with a sequel released in May 2009. A six-episode live-action television series adaptation premiered in Japan in May 2016, and a four-episode sequel premiered in November 2016. A new anime television series by Passione premiered in October 2020 after a COVID-19 delay.

## Synopsis

### Season 1:

After moving into the quiet town of Hinamizawa, Maebara Keiichi spends his days blissfully in school often playing games with his local friends. However, appearances can be deceiving. One fateful day, Keiichi stumbles upon news of a murder that had occurred in Hinamizawa. From this point on, horrific events unfold in front of Keiichi, as he soon learns his close friends may not be all that they seem. Based on the amateur mystery game by 07th Expansion, the story is told in a series of different scenarios.

### Season 2:

Continuing from the first series, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai begins to shed some light on the dark mysteries prevalent in the preceding season. The young group of friends in the town of Hinamizawa continue to enter terrible conflicts with one another in their never ending summer of 1983, often ending with the brutal murder of one of their numbers. Furude Rika, with the help of her spiritual friend Hanyuu, tackles challenges over and over, trying her best to keep their lives from coming to a tragic end. With no end to the torture in sight, Rika must call upon the bonds of friendship and trust among her friends to discover the true villain of this eternal June.

### Season 3:

The endless cycle of murders has been broken and Rika is finally able to settle down for a normal life with her friends. However, she is involved in a traffic accident and wakes up in a world where everything is different. A world where no one commited the sins that shaped them into the persons they are. It's up to Rika to discover the truth behind this world and whether or not it truly is perfect.

## MAL Info

Score:(Season 1) 7.97; (Season 2) 8.24; (Season 3) 7.46

Ranked:(Season 1) #564; (Season 2) #262; (Season 3) #1700

Popularity:(Season 1) #141; (Season 2) #325; (Season 3) #930

Studios:Studio Deen

Source:**:**Visual novel

Duration:24 min. per ep.

Rating:R - 17+ (violence & profanity)

Producers:Geneon Universal Entertainment, Frontier Works, Sotsu, DAX Production