How to watch Higurashi in order
Do you fancy crying when watching an anime series? You'll want to watch Higurashi, then.
At first glance, Higurashi: When They Cry appears to be a sweet and cozy anime – something you put on TV when you want to unwind and watch something chill. The reality is that Higurashi is, in fact, terrifying, arguably horrifying at times, and can even be a challenging watch, is soon revealed.
It's likely that you've heard of Higurashi already. It's described as a "sound novel" which might be confusing at first, but let us explain. It's a video novel, but instead of focusing solely on visuals, the Higurashi story took it a step further to tell a story through the use of sound and atmosphere. It was met with explosive success, with the story expanding into an anime in 2006. It quickly established itself as one of the best anime franchises around.
The series follows Keiichi Maebara. Set in 1983, Keiichi has recently moved to the quiet village of Hinamizawa, where he quickly makes a group of friends at school. However, not everything is what it seems, as he soon realises that a darkness is lurking underneath the surface, one that is eager to reveal itself.
There have been a lot of different adaptations of Higurashi, so it makes sense on why newcomers may not know where to start. Thankfully, our guide is the best way to help you find out how to watch Higurashi in order.
How to watch Higurashi in order
After the unexpected popularity of the original When They Cry series, plenty of spin-offs were made that turned Higurashi from a TV show into a franchise.
At the same time, the visual novels were re-released, adding entirely new story arcs to better match up with the episodes and OVAs. Thankfully, Higurashi’s release and chronological order are precisely the same.
Here’s how that watchlist would look:
- When They Cry (2006)
- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni: Nekogoroshi-hen (OVA, 2007)
- When They Cry: Kai (2007)
- When They Cry: Rei (2009)
- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira (2011–12)
- Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kaku: Outbreak (OVA, 2013)
- Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou (2020–21)
- Higurashi: When They Cry – Sotsu (2021)
What is Higurashi?
While the village of Hinamizawa initially seems peaceful when Keiichi moves there, he quickly finds our that violent secrets are lurking underneath. On the day of the village’s local annual festival, he learns that murders and disappearances are rife, and each remains unresolved.
This leads to something known as the Oyashiro Curse, which is a name given to the events by the superstitious villagers. When Keiichi and his friends try to solve the murders for themselves, they each succumb to paranoia and a blinding homicidal rage.
As the mysteries unfold, more tragedies strike Hinamizawa, threatening the lives of everyone within it.
Is Higurashi disturbing?
Higurashi is deemed to be so disturbing that some fans consider it to be the greatest horror anime that’s ever been made.
The show is known for its brutal scenes, supernatural elements, great mysteries, and bloody action, which kickstarted the legacy that the franchise is known for today.
Where to watch Higurashi in the UK
Higurashi can currently be found on Crunchyroll, Netflix and AppleTV for UK viewers.
You can catch Higurashi on Crunchyroll. Sign up to Crunchyroll from $7.99 per month with a 14-day free trial.
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