Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is a popular Horror visual novel from 2000 that was adapted into a semi-popular horror anime in 2007. The anime is well known for blending both horror and slice of life elements and now in 2020, a reboot/alternate timeline adaptation titled Higurashi: When They Cry – NEW has surfaced with updated visuals and character models. This new adaptation seems to be tailored towards both newcomers and old fans of the original studio DEEN series.
A Chilling Opening
The first episode opens up in a similar fashion to the original anime where we see protagonist Keiichi Maebara brutally murder his friends with a baseball bat and its quite a gruesome scene to witness. Minutes later the tone of the anime changes drastically, and we’re introduced to the other characters in a standard slice of life format, only this time with the new designs which makes it seem like you’re watching a completely different anime. We see Keiichi’s normal interactions with his friend group and classmates Rena, Mion, Satoko, and Rika as they go to a local shrine for a picnic.
On his way back from the shrine with Rena, they both take an odd detour to the local landfill to find some “treasure”. At the landfill, Keiichi encounters Tomitake, a freelance photographer that frequents the town to take pictures of birds. He tells Keiichi that there’s been a recent murder in town which understandably shocks him and the anime’s unsettling tone creeps back in.
The next day all seems well as Keiichi is inducted into to the girl’s club and even competes in a friendly scavenger hunt with them. However, he is still curious about the murder, so he asks both Rena and Mion about the incident but is met with a cold and creepy dismissal. Later on he goes back to the landfill where he meets Rena yet again trying to dig out a Colonel Sanders “Kenta-kun” statue. Keiichi offers to help dig it out but is unable to. Rena offers to rush home to make some tea as thanks for helping. As she leaves, Keiichi dozes off but wakes up minutes later to find a pile of magazines with information on the aforementioned grizzly incident. However, as Keiichi searches through the magazine the episode ends with Rena standing behind him ominously with a machete in hand.
All in all, the first episode is quite similar to its 2007 counterpart save for the obvious changes such as the new character designs by Akio Watanabe (who also worked on the Monogatari series) and new music from Kenji Kawai. The episode successfully introduces the main characters while also adding some creepy undertones into the mix.
New Name, Slightly New Show
Then comes episode two, which dramatically changes things by pulling the wool over us and unveiling a new title for the anime, Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou. The second episode starts off in a cryptic manner with an older, more matured Rika awakening to find herself in a realm filled with mirror shards where she meets a strange apparition named Hanyuu. The two seemingly discuss past events and Rika’s determination to save the town from an unknown threat.
This sequence will definitely confuse some new viewers as it recalls events from the original series without spoiling too much. The episode then returns to normal with Keiichi playing zombie tag with the girls at school though it’s hard to enjoy the cute scene without recalling the series of ominous events from the previous episode.
Afterwards, he returns to the landfill with Rena to fetch the “Kenta-Kun” statue. As Keiichi hacks away at a piece of wood with the machete from the previous episode to free the statue, he recalls the grisly event shown at the start of the first episode which supposedly never happened. So perhaps it might’ve been from another timeline? Meanwhile, Rena is acting strangely again with cold, emotionless stares. The next day the group attend the Watanagashi Festival where they have fun talking, eating and playing games, and the episode ends with an elegant ritual dance from Rika.
Final Thoughts
Episode 2 notably changes a few things from the original I won’t spoil, but proves this new adaptation from studio Passione is not just a reboot but an alternate timeline story as well. Thankfully, the new adaptation succeeds in integrating the chilling and unsettling elements seen in the original, and hopefully it continues to do so while introducing some of its own features as well.
If you haven’t seen Higurashi: When They Cry – Gou it’s available to stream right now on Funimation.
Are you a fan of horror? Have you seen the original Higurashi series? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.