Higurashi When They Cry
Higurashi When They 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 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 was scheduled to premiere in July 2020, but was delayed to that October due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Gameplay
Higurashi When They Cry is a "sound novel", a variation of visual novel devoid of interactivity. Gameplay is restricted to reading individual scenes, during which characters are displayed as static two-dimensional sprites. The versions of the game ported to home consoles additionally feature voice acting provided by professional voice actors. The narrative of the game is divided into separate story arcs, named "chapters", which become accessible in a sequence strictly established by the developers. The narration is conducted on behalf of various characters. After reading a certain amount of text within a chapter, playback ends. At this point, the player is invited to save the game, as well as read "tips" that reveal details of the game's setting that were not present in the main story. The tips may also encourage the player to deduce the reasoning behind the narrative's mysterious events. The chapters of the game are divided into two categories – "question arcs" and "answer arcs". Each question arc is a self-contained story taking place in an alternate reality, while each answer arc is based within the same scenario as a certain question arc, and help the player formulate a more accurate vision of the events of the pertaining question arc. Each chapter is assigned a "difficulty rating" that indicates the complexity of the mystery. Upon completion of reading a chapter, all previously opened tips and images of individual scenes in the form of a gallery become available to the player from the main menu. In addition, the player can access a feature entitled the "Staff Room", in which writer Ryukishi07 discusses and examines the chapter.Plot
Higurashi: When They Cry takes place in the fictional village of Hinamizawa in June 1983. Shortly before then, the main character, Keiichi Maebara, moves to the village and befriends classmates Mion Sonozaki, her twin sister Shion, Rena Ryugu, Rika Furude and Satoko Hojo. Keiichi soon learns of the village's annual Watanagashi Festival, a celebration to commemorate and give thanks to the local deity Oyashiro. Hinamizawa initially seems calm and peaceful, but shortly before the festival, Keiichi learns that for four consecutive years, people in the village have been killed or have disappeared on the evening of the festival. These crimes remain unsolved and have been named the "Oyashiro Curse" by the local populace. The day after this year's festival, police discover the corpse of visiting freelance photographer Jirō Tomitake, who appears to have torn his throat out with his bare hands, and the charred body of Miyo Takano, a nurse in the village clinic. In most chapters, Keiichi attempts to investigate the Oyashiro Curse, only for him or one of his friends to become paranoid and commit a crime, often the murder of someone within his circle. A few days after the festival, Rika's body is found in the family shrine dedicated to Oyashiro, and on the same day, a cataclysmic release of swamp gas wipes out the village's population.The [|answer arcs] reveal that each of the preceding arcs were alternate realities in which Rika tried to prevent her own death. As a priestess of the Furude Shrine, Rika can communicate with the spirit Hanyu, who served as the prototype for Oyashiro and is the ancestress of the Furude clan. After Rika dies, Hanyu transfers her to another reality so that she may change her circumstance. Rika retains her memory of all past realities with the exception of the final minutes of her life, which prevents her from determining the cause of her fate. In the chapters Minagoroshi-hen and Matsuribayashi-hen, it is revealed that Miyo, who is studying a local endemic parasitic disease in the village, is responsible for some of the previous crimes, and is using the Oyashiro Curse as a cover. The disease manifests in those who move a distance away from the "Infection Queen", who releases a pheromone that prevents the aggravation of the villagers' condition. Infected persons gradually lose sanity and eventually kill themselves by tearing their throat out. The women of the Furude clan have all acted as Infection Queens, and Rika is the sole remaining representative of her clan after the death of her parents.
Miyo kills Rika in each reality to unleash the disease and vindicate the work of her adoptive grandfather, who was mocked and shamed by the scientific community for his thesis about the disease. After several hundred loops, Keiichi becomes aware of them in a handful of flashbacks and subconsciously remembers several of his past loops, which allows him to avoid several critical points where various characters would be murdered or driven insane, and the group of friends nearly manages to outwit Miyo. In the final loop, the group asks Hanyu to join them, and the spirit manages to manifest a physical body. With her assistance, they manage to stay alive long enough to prevent Miyo's plan. Hanyu travels back to the past to save Miyo and her father, and to prevent their psychotic drive from forming.
Story arcs
In the Higurashi games, there are several story arcs, the original eight of which are referred to as either question arcs or answer arcs. The answer arcs generally recapitulate the events of the corresponding question arc, but from a different perspective, using the change of protagonist to solve various mysteries and come to a different conclusion. Each of the eight original games for the PC represented separate arcs of the overall storyline. Apart from the main question and answer relationship, the story of the arcs are not directly connected, although a multitude of parallels exist which allow the observant reader to gain extra insight into the mystery.Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
The Higurashi: When They Cry games form what are referred to as the question arcs. These first four games of the series were meant to give the player a sense of the world where the story takes place and introduce the mysterious circumstances surrounding the village of Hinamizawa. Since there are no concrete answers given to the questions that the story presents in these arcs, the question arcs allow the player to form his or her own opinions about the events taking place in the village. Each question arc game contains all of the previous question arcs.;Onikakushi-hen
;Watanagashi-hen
;Tatarigoroshi-hen
;Himatsubushi-hen
Kai
The Higurashi: When They Cry Kai games form what are known as the answer arcs. The last four games released in the series, were, in contrast to the question arcs, meant to answer all of the questions presented in the first half of the series. These arcs can be considered the "solutions" of the previous arcs. Each answer arc game contains all of the previous answer arcs.;Meakashi-hen
;Tsumihoroboshi-hen
;Minagoroshi-hen
;Matsuribayashi-hen
Rei
Three extra chapters were included in a fan disc named Higurashi: When They Cry Rei, two of which were newly created. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei was released on December 31, 2006.;Saikoroshi-hen
;Batsukoishi-hen
;Hirukowashi-hen
Matsuri
Three original chapters were created for the PlayStation 2 version Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri, by Alchemist.;Taraimawashi-hen
;Tsukiotoshi-hen
;Miotsukushi-hen
Kizuna
Four original chapters were created for the Nintendo DS version Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kizuna, by Alchemist.;Someutsushi-hen
;Kagebōshi-hen
;Tokihogushi-hen
;Kotohogushi-hen
Manga arcs
These side stories are original chapters serialized in manga form which supplement the games and partially continue the story.;Onisarashi-hen
;Yoigoshi-hen
;Utsutsukowashi-hen
;Kataribanashi-hen
;Kokoroiyashi-hen
Anime arc
;Yakusamashi-henDevelopment
The series is the first visual novel series produced by 07th Expansion. The game director and scenario writer for the series are Ryukishi07, who also drew all of the character illustrations. Background images were taken from photographs taken by Ryukishi07, his younger brother Yatazakura, and Kameya Mannendō. Programming was worked on by Yatazakura, who worked on the main structure, 4U who worked on the intermission and Tips, and BT who worked on the mini games. The games were designed using the game engine NScripter. The music of Higurashi was provided by various music artists including both professionals and dōjin artists, including Dai, the composer of most of the music found in the answer arcs.Ryukishi07 wrote in 2004 how he was influenced by Key's works during the planning of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Ryukishi07 played Key's games as a reference, among other visual novels, and analyzed them to figure out the reason why they were found to be so popular. He figured that the secret was due to how the stories would start with ordinary, enjoyable days, but then a sudden occurrence would happen to lead the player to cry due to the shock value. He used a similar model for the basis of Higurashi but instead of leading the player to cry, Ryukishi07 wanted to scare the player with the addition of horror elements. In this way, Ryukishi07 wished to be in some way associated with Key who he described as a "masterpiece maker."
In an interview in the December 2008 issue of Yen Press's Yen Plus manga anthology, Ryukishi07 stated that Higurashi had its origins from an unpublished theater script called Hinamizawa Teiryūjo he had written a few years before the first Higurashi game was released. When he decided to rewrite the script and release it, he wanted to build upon "the contrast between a fun, ordinary life, and something terrifying and out of the ordinary." Ryukishi07 was greatly influenced by the worlds of Seishi Yokomizo when developing the universe of Higurashi. Ryukishi07 had decided "early on to design the story so that the truth comes to light by looking at several overlapping stories," though he originally planned to release it as a single game due to initially believing he could finish the story in a single year.
The word higurashi is the name of a kind of cicada. Naku means "to make sound", specifically referring to those sounds made by non-human organisms. According to Ryukishi07, the red Na in the logo is an official part of the title.
Release history
The first game of the Higurashi: When They Cry visual novel series, titled Onikakushi-hen, was released on August 10, 2002. The second game Watanagashi-hen was released on December 29, 2002. The third game Tatarigoroshi-hen was released on August 15, 2003. The fourth game Himatsubushi-hen was released on August 13, 2004. The first four games are part of the question arcs, and the following four games, under the title Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, are part of the answer arcs. The fifth game Meakashi-hen was released on December 30, 2004. The sixth game Tsumihoroboshi-hen was released on August 14, 2005. The seventh game Minagoroshi-hen was released on December 30, 2005. The eighth game Matsuribayashi-hen was released on August 13, 2006. A fan disc titled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei was released on December 31, 2006. A second fan disc titled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Hō was released on August 17, 2014. Each chapter keeps the same cast of main characters and general premise but unfolds in a different manner. Each of the chapters give valuable answers, hints, and clues as to the mysteries of the previous installment while at the same time bringing forth even more mysteries.The eight original PC games were released in English by MangaGamer under the title Higurashi: When They Cry starting with the first four games released in December 2009 and the last four released in monthly intervals starting in February 2010. MangaGamer's release of the visual novels does not include several background music tracks and other bonus features specific to the original Japanese version which include: the staff room, the music room, and a minigame. The eight original PC games were also released in French by Saffran Prod under the title Le sanglot des cigales, starting with the first two games released together in November 2009. The Japanese company Seams has done releases for iOS devices in Japanese and English. The Japanese version includes all eight games. The English version is based on the translation by MangaGamer and as of May 2012 includes the first five games. A remastered version of Onikakushi-hen from Higurashi: When They Cry Hō was released by MangaGamer on Steam on May 15, 2015 for Windows, OS X and Linux. The updates include a re-translation, previously cut music tracks and content, the original Japanese text, and alternative character art by illustrator Kurosaki.
A dōjin game named Higurashi Daybreak, based on the Higurashi series and featuring an original scenario by Ryukishi 07, was developed by Twilight Frontier, the creators of Immaterial and Missing Power and Eternal Fighter Zero. The gameplay is that of a versus third-person shooter, in which most of the characters of the main Higurashi series are playable. Higurashi Daybreak was first released on August 13, 2006, and an expansion pack followed on April 22, 2007.
A video game console port for the PlayStation 2 was released as Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri by Alchemist on February 22, 2007. Higurashi is the third dōjin game to be ported to a video game console; the first was Hanakisō by HaccaWorks*, and the second was Melty Blood by French-Bread and Ecole. Although Higurashi was the first to have a video game console port announced, its longer development time made it the third to be released. Due to the popularity of Matsuri, a second enhanced PlayStation 2 port, known as Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri: Kakera Asobi, was released on December 20, 2007. It was sold as an append disc to the original Matsuri and as a standalone game. It contains all of Matsuri's content, in addition to Matsuribayashi-hen from the original games and other bonus content.
A series of four games for the Nintendo DS under the collective title Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kizuna with new story arcs are being developed by Alchemist. The first, with the added title Tatari, was released on June 26, 2008 containing the first three chapters from the question arcs, and a new chapter entitled Someutsushi-hen, with its story based on the Onisarashi-hen manga series. The second, with the added title Sō, was released in November 2008. The third game in the series, with the added title Rasen, was released in March 2009. The final game, subtitled Kizuna, was released in February 2010.
A PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Vita port titled Higurashi: When They Cry Sui and published by Kaga Create was released in Japan on March 12, 2015. This edition features all scenarios from previous versions, in addition to full voice acting, new songs, CGs, minigames and functions. A Nintendo Switch port titled Higurashi: When They Cry Hō and published by Entergram was released in Japan on July 26, 2018. It contains the previous content covered by Sui, in addition to three new scenarios. A PlayStation 4 port of Higurashi: When They Cry Hō was released by Entergram in Japan on January 24, 2019.
Adaptations
Drama CDs
There were two official sets of drama CDs released, one by Wayuta, and the other by Frontier Works. Wayuta has released seven CDs since May 27, 2005 starting with Onikakushi-ken and going through the main story arcs from the visual novel series to Tsumihoroboshi-hen on February 22, 2008. Two more drama CDs will be released by Wayuta to cover Minagoroshi-hen and Matsuribayashi-hen. Wayuta has already released two bonus drama CDs named Append Disc 01 released on December 29, 2005 at Comiket 69, and Append Disc 02 released on October 26, 2007. Wayuta also released two drama CDs covering a new arc named Kataribanashi-hen, the first on April 25, 2007, and the second on May 9, 2008. Frontier Works released two CDs, starting with an anthology piece called Anthology Drama CD 1 on December 22, 2005, followed by a sequel entitled Anthology Drama CD 2 on March 24, 2006. There have also been numerous drama CDs released during special events such as at Comiket or through magazine subscription.Manga
There are eight main titles in the Higurashi manga series, spanning the four question arcs and the four answer arcs. Each question arc manga are compiled into two bound volumes. The first two answer arc manga are compiled into four volumes, meanwhile Minagoroshi-hen is compiled into six volumes, and Matsuribayashi-hen into eight. The manga uses multiple artists between the various arcs. Karin Suzuragi drew Onikakushi-hen, Tsumihoroboshi-hen, and Matsuribayashi-hen, Yutori Hōjō drew Watanagashi-hen and Meakashi-hen, Jirō Suzuki drew Tatarigoroshi-hen, Yoshiki Tonogai drew Himatsubushi-hen, and Hanase Momoyama drew Minagoroshi-hen. Another manga entitled Kokoroiyashi-hen is drawn by Yuna Kagesaki and began in Kadokawa Shoten's Comp Ace on August 26, 2008. The manga series was licensed by Yen Press for English distribution in North America under the title Higurashi: When They Cry. The manga was initially serialized in Yen Press' Yen Plus anthology magazine, the first issue of which went on sale on July 29, 2008. The first English volume of the manga was originally planned to be sold in early 2009, but was released in November 2008.There are three side stories related to the main Higurashi story, but with new characters. The first, named Onisarashi-hen, is drawn by En Kitō and was serialized between March 2005 and July 2006 in Comp Ace. The next, entitled Yoigoshi-hen, is drawn by Mimori and was serialized between in GFantasy between 2006 and 2007. The last side story is known as Utsutsukowashi-hen is also drawn by En Kitō and was serialized in Comp Ace between 2006 and 2007.
A manga adaptation of Higurashis precursor Hinamizawa Teiryūjo began serialization in the debut issue of Square Enix's Big Gangan magazine, sold on October 25, 2011.
Novels
There are four light novels which contain additional illustrations by five different artists, and seventeen novelizations of the separate visual novel arcs. Each novel is written by Ryukishi 07. The light novels were all released as limited editions not sold in stores. The first one, Nekogoroshi-hen, was illustrated by Karin Suzuragi, Yutori Hōjō, and Jirō Suzuki, and was sent out to those who bought the first volume of the manga versions of Onikakushi-hen, Watanagashi-hen, and Tatarigoroshi-hen. One needed to send the cutout stamps in all three of these manga by the deadline to receive this special short story. The second light novel, Kuradashi-hen, was illustrated by Yoshiki Tonogai, Karin Suzuki, Yutori Hōjō, and Mimori. This novel was sent out to those who bought the second volume of the manga version of Himatsubushi-hen, and the first volumes of the manga Tsumihoroboshi-hen, Meakashi-hen, and Yoigoshi-hen. One needed to send the cutout stamps in all four of these manga by a certain deadline to receive this special short story. The third light novel, Hajisarashi-hen, contained illustrations by Rato, and was included with the limited edition of the PlayStation 2 game Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri. The fourth novel, Kuradashi-hen Zoku is a sequel to Kuradashi-hen and was sent out to those who bought the second volumes of the manga Tsumihoroboshi-hen, Meakashi-hen, and Yoigoshi-hen. One needed to send the cutout stamps in all four of these manga by a certain deadline to receive this special short story. The light novels were published by Square Enix and released in 2006 and 2007.Kodansha Box released seventeen novelizations of the visual novel arcs between August 2007 and March 2009, starting with Onikakushi-hen and ending with Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei. Most of the story arcs are divided into two volumes, except for Himatsubushi-hen and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei which are compiled into one volume each, and Matsuribayashi-hen which is compiled into three volumes. The novels included illustrations by Tomohi.
Anime
The first anime series produced by Studio Deen and directed by Chiaki Kon, covers the four question arcs and the first two answer arcs. The original Higurashi no Naku Koro ni anime adaptation aired in Japan between April 4 and September 26, 2006, comprising twenty-six episodes. Most of the characters were used by the same voice actors for the drama CD series. The series is available on DVD in Japan, France and North America. However, Geneon's U.S. division announced that it discontinued all ongoing anime projects in September 2007, including Higurashi on November 6, 2007. Only three of a planned six DVDs of Higurashi were released, under the title When They Cry: Higurashi. On July 3, 2008, Geneon and Funimation announced an agreement to distribute select titles in North America. While Geneon still retained the license, Funimation assumed exclusive rights to the manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution of select titles. Higurashi was one of the several titles involved in the deal. Funimation released a complete box set of the series in August 2009. However, in August 2011, the rights to the series expired due to low sales. Sentai Filmworks has licensed both anime series.People in Japan, who had bought all nine of the DVDs of the first season, had the chance to receive a special anime DVD entitled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gaiden Nekogoroshi-hen, based on the short story that was given to those who had bought the manga. Despite being a bonus for the first season, Nekogoroshi-hen featured the updated animation style as seen in the second season.
A continuation of the series, based on one new story arc and the final two original answer arcs of the franchise, entitled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, aired in Japan between July 6 and December 17, 2007, containing twenty-four episodes. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the second anime series. The second season featured slightly different character designs than the first season and better animation. As the result of a murder case in September 2007 in Japan involving the murder of a police officer by his sixteen-year-old daughter with an axe, as well as the Japanese media relating the case to anime such as Higurashi, the latest episode screenings of both Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai and another anime at the time, School Days, were canceled by a number of stations, due to excessive violence. However, AT-X, TV Saitama and Sun TV announced that they would be airing the episodes as planned. Later, TV Saitama announced that they had ceased broadcasting of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai from episode thirteen onwards. Additionally, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai had its opening altered when it re-aired. Originally, a bloody bill hook cleaver was shown halfway through the opening; it was replaced with an image of a van from the series' fictional junk yard.
An original video animation series, entitled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei, was released on February 25, 2009, and is directed by Toshifumi Kawase. The series also started a limited broadcasting in Bandai Channel prior to DVD release. Sentai Filmworks has licensed the Rei OVAs. The OVA contains three story arcs, Hajisarashi-hen, Saikoroshi-hen and Hirukowashi-hen, with Saikoroshi-hen concluding in three episodes, and the other two arcs concluding in one episode each. Hajisarashi-hen was originally a light novel included with the limited edition of the PlayStation 2 game Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri, and took the place of Batsukoishi-hen from the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei fandisc. Frontier Works announced another original video anime series, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira in March 2011, which marks the tenth anniversary of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. An anime titled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kaku: Outbreak, adapted from Ryukishi 07's short story "Higurashi Outbreak", was announced in December 2012 and was later released in August 2013.
On January 6, 2020, 07th Expansion and Kadokawa announced that a new anime project by Passione is in production. Akio Watanabe serves as a character designer, and Infinite serves as a producer. Keiichiro Kawaguchi is directing the series, with Naoki Hayashi handling series composition and Kenji Kawai returning as music composer. The main cast will reprise their roles. The series was set premiere in July 2020 but was delayed to October 2020 due to COVID-19. Funimation has acquired the series under the title Higurashi: When They Cry - New, and will stream the series on its website in North America and the British Isles, and on AnimeLab in Australia and New Zealand.
Live action
A live action film adaptation of the series entitled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, directed by Ataru Oikawa, premiered in Japanese theaters on May 10, 2008. The film is an adaptation of the first story arc, Onikakushi-hen. Gōki Maeda plays Keiichi, Airi Matsuyama plays Rena, Rin Asuka plays Mion, Aika plays Rika, and Erena Ono plays Satoko. The film grossed at the Japanese box office.A sequel, also live action, was released in Japanese theaters on April 18, 2009 and is entitled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Chikai. The sequel is based on the Tsumihoroboshi-hen arc.
A live-action television series adaptation premiered in Japan on May 20, 2016 on cable channel BS SKY PerfecTV!. The cast includes the members of NGT48. A four-episode sequel premiered on November 25, 2016.
Music
Unlike visual novels created by established companies, 07th Expansion did not create the music found in the Higurashi games. The music for the question arcs consists of license free songs found on the Internet while the music for the answer arcs was provided by dōjin music artists that were fans of Higurashi. Later, a CD album called Thanks/you was released by the dōjin music artist, Dai; many of his tracks were used in the answer arcs. Fans initially referred to this album as the official soundtrack. However, the actual official soundtrack has since been released for the series, featuring a majority of the songs featured in the answer arcs. This two-disc set is, to date, the most complete collection of songs from the games.The first season anime's opening theme is "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni" sung by Eiko Shimamiya; it went on sale in Japan on May 24, 2006. The ending theme is "Why, or Why Not" sung by Rekka Katakiri; it was released on June 28, 2006. They were released as two original soundtracks. The series is composed by Kenji Kawai and the albums were produced by Frontier Works. Volume 1 was released on July 21, 2006, and volume 2 was released on October 6, 2006, in Japan. Three character song CDs were also released, sung by voice actors from the anime adaptation, between March 28 and July 25, 2007. The second season anime's opening theme is "Naraku no Hana" also sung by Shimamiya. The first season's opening theme includes a hidden message : the unintelligible lyrics at the beginning were generated by reversing the phrase nigerarenain da. The second season's opening theme also includes a reversed part at the end which was made by playing backwards the reversed bit from the first opening theme. The ending theme is "Taishō a" performed by anNina. The first OVA season's opening theme is "Super scription of data" by Shimamiya, and the ending theme is "Manazashi" by anNina. The opening theme for the OVA Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kira is "Happy! Lucky! Dochy!" by Yukari Tamura, Mika Kanai, and Yui Horie—the voice actors for Rika, Satoko, and Hanyu, respectively. The ending theme, "Zendai Mimon Miracle Change", had four separate versions: one by Mai Nakahara, Rena's voice actor and the others are sung by Yukari Tamura and Mika Kanai, Satsuki Yukino, Mion and Shion's voice actor, and Yui Horie.
For the first live-action film, a short version of the film's theme song was released on December 22, 2007, in Japan. Once again, Shimamiya sang the song, entitled "Wheel of Fortune". Shimamiya also performed the ending theme entitled "Diorama".
Reception
Visual novels
Over 100,000 copies of the original games were sold in Japan by 2006, a feat not attained by a dōjin game since Type-Moon released Tsukihime. Many fans attribute the game's success to the suspense and horror the novel portrays. Fan-based community boards emerged where fans began discussing their own theories. The popularity of the games grew exponentially as many took interest in their well-outlined script and story, which eventually led the game to be showcased in large gaming magazines with positive reviews. With the announcement of the live-action film adaptation of Onikakushi-hen came the news that over 500,000 copies of the games had been sold, by August 13, 2007. The enhanced PlayStation 2 port, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri, had sold 140,397 copies by October 11, 2007. Later console releases in the series, between December 2007 and January 2019, have sold 408,391 copies in Japan, as of February 2019, bringing total software sales to copies in Japan.The PS2 version received a total review score of 31/40 from the Japanese gaming magazine Famitsu. The game was voted the tenth most interesting bishōjo game by readers of Dengeki G's Magazine in an August 2007 survey. Its English-language release also received a positive reception from critics. Hardcore Gamer stated that the "writing is incredibly eerie, and amazingly effective" and concluded that "few video games make it anywhere near the skillful story weaving present within the Higurashi series." APGNation stated the "Excellent writing and music make for an evocative reading experience."
Manga
In Japan, the third volume of the manga adaptation ranked as the 19th weekly best-selling book on January 16, 2008. The first volume ranked as the 18th weekly bestseller on June 10, 2008. The fourth volume ranked as the 19th bestseller on January 14, 2009. In the United States, the first volume was ranked 253rd in the top 300 graphic novels sold in November 2008 and ranked as 25th in the top 25 Manga sold in the first quarter of 2009 release of ICv2 Retailers Guide to Anime/Manga. The manga sold 8million copies by 2009.Debi Aoki of About.com stated that reading the chapters in succession as they were presented in its serialization in Yen Plus made the story "easier to follow" and built the suspense better. However, Justin Colussy-Estes of Comic Village disagreed feeling that this structure "backfire". Justin Colussy-Estes of Comic Village praised the setting for hinting at something "much darker". He also praised the structure stating that the "mystery develops slowly" to immerse the reader in the characters and then later force the reader to "confront the possibility that one or more of them may be murderer"; a decision he described as "clever". Critics criticized the manga for using "cliché" characterizations typical of the harem genre. However, Phil Guie of Popcultureshock expressed disappointment that this characterization "is brushed aside" for the horror as it gave the friendship between characters "real depth" adding to the surprise of the plot twists. Anime News Network's Casey Brienza praised the manga for being an "effective" horror story as it follows an ordinary situation, a harem manga plot, which "becomes terrifying" producing an effect that is "trashy horror at its absolute greatest". However, she expressed being frustrated by the end of the second volume as the central question remains "infuriatingly unanswered" though still felt the manga is "wholly enjoyable and satisfying" nonetheless. Brienza stated that although the artwork is "average", the illustrator "seems to know exactly how to transition between the adorable and the abominable—and does so with dramatic, nightmarish effect." Aoki described the artwork as although "pander to otaku fetishes" containing "generic" and "awkward" character designs, providing "overbearing cutesiness makes the secrets that the girls are hiding behind their smiles just that much creepier."