Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
LeaderTGW
You know, after playing the excruciating visual novel of Higurashi for PS2
Or the PC game. I told myself that when the anime adaption I'd
Undoubtedly hate it. To my shock the anime was such an improvement I
Just could not get over myself. The story, just like it's previous season is Unique and a bit confusing, however, this season is where things are finally
Starting to be explained. All of the "wait I don't get it" and "I'm confused"
That you may have been saying to yourself or out loud stop. In Kai,
Losing for Rika & Hanyū are not an option. The intense story and drama
Overall shape the relationship between our beloved friends in Hinamizawa.
So moving on, The art is still cliche for it's time. Can't really say it's bad, but
There really could have been more improvements made to our ch…
Read at the sourceQuan_
[Adapted From Original Blog Post]
Probably the biggest reason Higurashi no naku koro ni Kai fails as a sequel is because of a matter of expectation. Now, you might be thinking I just spoiled the entire review right there, but give me a moment, I'm not done, because Higurashi Kai is a very complex thing to pin down why exactly it is the way it is. I guess where you need to start is to consider that any mystery must inevitably have an answer. And when that mystery is played through a dark and chaotic mess, in other words, most of what season 1 of Higurashi encompassed, well, you'll need to go to some very... expressive places in order to justify it all. Needless to say, Higurashi no naku koro ni and Higurashi no naku koro ni Kai(which I'll just call Higurashi Kai from now on) are two, very,…
Read at the sourcelawlmartz
"Someone taught me something- that the power of belief will give rise to a miracle that will cut through fate." - Hanyuu
Preface:
Birthday review!
This review is solely for Higurashi Kai, which I will refer to as "Kai" from this point on. Since it's a part two, it's necessary to have seen the first set, as it's divided into "question" and "answer" arcs. This series formulates the many, complex answers to the question: What exactly is happening to Hinamizawa in June of 1983?
Artwork and Animation: 7 Like its predecessor, Kai is approaching 10 years old, and looks somewhat dated when put up against more recent efforts, both by studio Deen and others. By no means does it detract from the show though, as the somewhat rough look gives it a dated feel too, and brings the rural 1983 Japane…
Read at the sourceDechie
Television has brought back murder into the home - where it belongs.
~Alfred Hitchcock, 1969
It's a rare occurrence when an anime (or any TV show) is able to hold thrill and fear in a perfect balance. For starters, the show has to reach a certain standard of quality in order for the viewer to feel either of those two emotions, but in addition, the series must be able to switch between excitement and terror with ease. But maintaining that equilibrium is in fact possible, and such is the beauty of the Higurashi world as a whole.
Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai (Often abbreviated Higurashi Kai) is the second installment in the Higurashi set, and the predominant purpose of this anime is to provide resolution for some of the unanswered mystery arcs in its prequel, Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni. Man…
Read at the sourcemomsspaghetti
Personally, my favourite kinds of stories are the ones that really make you think. Ones that make you look back on what you've already seen, and realize there was more going on than you had initially picked up on. Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai makes you realize that the entire first season was preparing you for the story it has to tell.
The first season of Higurashi is fantastic in its own ways. It's unique in the way it tells its arcs; but it leaves the viewer questioning what they each have to do with one another. The second season, Kai, answers every single question you could have asked, and also adds multiple layers that you didn't realize were even happening. It is the most satisfying psychological story I have experienced in a very, very long time. In terms of story, it is possibly…
Read at the sourceMicsupreeme
~ You cannot oppose fate, no matter how much you deny it . . . ~
As a continuation to the particularly "open" ending of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai - or "Kai" as i will refer to it from now on to save time, was everything, and more than i was expecting. At a glance, i would definitely describe it as a thrilling journey. It's one that puts all of the confusion that may have followed you from the first season at bay. The addition of Kai has for me, as i expect for many, made the whole story feel infinitely more wholesome, well-rounded, and immersive.
Kai is nothing less than a masterpiece in my opinion, and here's why...
Whereas in the first season, i think its safe to say that Higurashi's reputably abstract methods of spontaneous timeline-shifting storytelling…
Read at the sourceOwlythesova
Higurashi (yes, I'm shortening the name once again) must be observed not as two seasons and whole load of OVA's and specials, but as a collective entity, and what a brilliant one! Beware, because I'm including some plot segments and ideas of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. If you haven't watched it yet - then go and do it right now, before it's too late!
-Story-
This is the strongest and the most striking point of the whole show. I was puzzled while watching the first season, because most of the events seemed random and somewhat insane: characters murdered each other, resurrected again and kept going mad. But I also enjoyed all the mystery surrounding these events ans even started building up some theories. I was hoping for some answers in the second season, and I got them to the fullest exten…
Read at the sourceSorrow
If you haven't seen the first season, Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, "Kai" will make almost as little sense to you without watching the first one as the watching the first one without watching Kai afterwards does. For those who loved the gore in Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, I'm sorry to tell you, that if you were looking forward to another twenty-four episodes of eviscerated adolescence and chopped loli then you are in for a disappointment; Kai focuses primarily on giving the viewers a satisfying answer and summarization of the questions and mysteries aroused in the first season.
Every once in a great while, there's an anime that completely alters your perception of what constitutes a "masterpiece." For me, one of those anime was Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (Kai). The greatest problem found with…
Read at the sourceSimonian
"Higurashi no naku koro ni Kai" is the second series of Higurashi, and it takes over where the previous series left off. Basically, if you watched the first series then you must watch this one too in order to fully understand just what is going in the world of Higurashi.
The story gets even better, but I'm not suppose to write any spoilers so I'll only say a couple of things about it. If you thought the first series was twisted, then this series will (pardon me) mindfuck you. It's completely twisted, it will leave you sobbing in a corner questioning your sanity. But isn't this what Higurashi really is about? I mean, it's not so much about violence or gore, even though there are a lot of violent and gory elements in it. But in reality it's about drama, tragedy and sorrow. This anime is su…
Read at the sourceFFandMMfan
For years I thought that Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, and it's sequel, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai were among the best Anime I had ever seen. This is in fact the general consensus, that Higurashi is an amazing Anime and it has garnered much praise over the last few years.
I'm here to tell everyone that I, and everyone else, could not have been more wrong about the Higurashi series. When you look at it on it's own, you may see a wonderful story full of drama, comedy, suspense and mystery, but in actuality, you are only seeing a small portion of the story.
You see, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni is adapted from a Visual Novel, and for years the English speaking Anime community didn't have any way to read it, since it wasn't translated, so they knew of the Anime (and perhaps the Manga), but had…
Read at the sourceMasterAlchemist
I think I could pretty much summarise what was going through people's heads when they watched the first season of Higurashi: what the fuck is up with this show?! The entire main cast, which on the surface appeared the average Joe, developed a serious case of insanity, which would result in a barbaric bloodbath. It made for excellent, yet sometimes nauseating entertainment, yet we still didn’t have a clue on why this messed up stuff was happening. I love a good mystery and that’s exactly what it proved to be. It wasn’t perfect but I hoped that the second season would make the franchise even better. Well there’s good news and there’s bad news.
Let’s start with the good elements first, which is primarily the solution the show provides it audience to the many, many questions. We finally disc…
Read at the sourceMikeOnHighway61
What did we see in Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni so far?
Well, it's been an amazing journey through the depths of human psychology, telling us that everyone is capable of becoming a killer under different circumstances... Watanagashi's mysteries were quite fascinating and there were specific scenes and moments the watcher won't forget that easily, in matter of psychological tension or brutal violence. The season ended with a slight glance of hope to escape the murder scenario repetition going on, so the watcher was looking forward seeing the resolve of that twisted maze.
Then there was Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni Kai... ...and the tension was gone.
The second season of Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni was successful in erasing every intriguing aspect of the first one.
- The Story:
The second season…
Read at the sourceSamFury
Disheartening Sunset
Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai [Kai] is the sequel to the popular original [Higurashi] that aired the year before, based off the 07th Expansion's sound novels of the same name. The first season covered the four arcs of the original game and the first two arcs of the sequel. Kai covers the last two arcs of the second game and give closure to mysteries presented in Higurashi.
Kai's story is satisfying at the very most. The riddles that hung like loose threads are woven together nicely giving us most of the big picture. A few questions are left unanswered, which hopefully Rei, the second sequel, will answer.
With this in mind, it's still hard to say that Kai at any way lives up to the drama of the first. The characters become paper actors, two dimensional, lacking the…
Read at the sourceshinimi
Based on the first season, it flows on a explains all the mysteries and the fluidity that the first season lacks. The story focuses around Rika in this season, and her perception into the bizarre killings of the Hinamizawa village on June 30th 1983. Little is known to why the events are happening, and Chiaki Kon does a very good job in replicating the manga version.
The art is well established. The OP is beautifully done, it uses the images of each of the characters in their darkest states. Again, the darkness of the anime is introduced, and the director does a good job in creating that mystique and eerie atmospherel. This is followed by the opening soundtrack "Naruka no Hana". The theme song was one of the reasons that I started to watch the anime. The voice actors did a pretty good job…
Read at the sourcewesley96
This review is based on the sequel to Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni (When They Cry), Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai (When They Cry Solutions). I'm going to not try to spoil this anime, but it's VERY hard not to spoil it. And if you haven't seen the first season of Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, you might not want to read the rest of this review.
Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai is pretty much the answers to some of the arcs in it's premises. But the main storyline instead of different people at each time, we have one and only one for every arc, the one and only Rika Furude. That's right, the girl that got the least screentime in the first season. Anyway, the story follows Rika and how each arc goes along, and some of the arcs about herself. The first episode starts off with Akasaka Mamoru with Ooish…
Read at the sourceCeptryn
Imagine you are an Olympic boxer, about to enter the gold medal match. It's going to be you're toughest fight, the world title holder thrice in a row. You've studied his moves, you're prepared, you know you can win and relish the challenge. You enter the ring and prepare for the greatest fight of your life. The bell rings! You launch forward... only to find your opponent collapsed on the ground due to a heart attack.
You won! But what's the feeling? Elation? Disappointment? Or a weird mixture of both?
Whatever that emotion is, that's what'll you feel upon completion of Higurashi Season 2. Brilliant twists, unparalleled suspense, the series builds to a full crescendo as the true devils behind the horrors of this countryside village is revealed is stunning fashion. All that is left is for…
Read at the sourcegochisosama
If you have not watched the first season (Higurashi no naku koro ni), this anime is practically useless and the same goes for this review.
Wow! Higurashi no naku koro ni Kai was a great addition to an already very good season one. As I found season one rather interesting and enjoyable, Kai was a must watch for me, in the hope that it would be just as great. With many questions left unanswered, Kai primarily focuses on answering questions and revealing to us the "true" truth. There are a lot less gore and horror elements compared to the first season, as Rika becomes the main point of view. The introduction of a new character called Hanyuu was certainly an interesting add into the plot. Her introduction into the story was done smoothly but it is likely that you'll ask "Where on earth did sh…
Read at the sourceYKawashima
before you start to hate me for the low score listen to my reasons. I watched the first season and found it to be amazing and easily deserved a 10 rating. This season was the same universe but felt like it was written by someone else. Where the first season gave you suspense and fear, the second season was too corny and drawn out at boring parts to do anything for me.
While I found Hanyou adorable, I also found her to be detrimental to the story. The first season made it possible for the cause of madness to be anything from disease to aliens. With the introduction of Hanyou I expected her and Rika to start fighting crime in sailor fuku.
The ending was in my opinion horrible. All of a sudden these characters who were so human and vulnerable were able to take down an army. I could talk mo…
Read at the sourceL-sama
After finishing the first Higurashi series, I was actually looking forward to seeing what Kai had in store for me. Despite my dislike of the horror genre, I was more than willing to give this one a chance too, since I was proven wrong by the former. I was proven wrong, all right, but it was not for the right reasons.
Where the first Higurashi was centered on shocking the viewer at every turn, Kai went for a slower, more suspenseful approach. Because of this decision, this approach turned out to be exceedingly slow. With only two major arcs present and twenty-four episodes to use, many events were stretched out beyond their limits. There were several occasions where the story virtually stalled for two episodes at a time with almost nothing being accomplished. Perhaps because of this, the t…
Read at the sourcez-pak
I will say this now, if you have not seen the anime called Higurashi no Naku koro ni, then this review will be as useful as the dust that lies under your bed.
With that said, most of what I have to say about Kai will be a rehash of what I said in my season 1 review; therefore, I will not be giving a detailed review. Instead, I will say what I thought were the stronger aspects in Kai compared to that of the first season. No doubt, both seasons of Higurashi were wonderful and one cannot exist without the other. Because of this, it is not exactly fair for me to use the same criteria I use with a stand alone season series or a stand alone anime. Thus, I rate and review Kai based on what was different, whether it be an improvement or not, from season 1.
Story: As said earlier, Kai is a direct…
Read at the source