Audience reviews
20 · Sample from the first available page, separate from the total number of ratings.
madokadash
4/10
So this anime can basically be broken into 2 parts epsiodes 1 and 5, and epsiodes 2, 3, 4. The latter of whitch was way better done than the former.
Rikas new Hinamizawa (episodes 2, 3 and 4) 7/10
So without going into major spoilers, this part of the show is done completely enough. It basically deals with a pretty decent premise.
That being, Rika magically ends up in a Hinamizawa that contains none of the bad things the original had. Does she choose to stay in the happy ending she earned, or the happy ending no one had to suffer to get to? The premise itself is really interesting, and honestly I wish all 5 epsiodes or a movie were given to explore it, rather than 3 of the 5. That being said, I think its execution faltered twords the end. There's a choice Rika is forced to make a…
Read at the sourcehexashadow13
tl;dr: A series of OVAs that have two comedy focused episodes, one pretty good and one just okay, and three episodes of an epilogue arc to Kai which is good in concept but somewhat weak in implementation.
*Note: This review has minor spoilers for Higurashi and Higurashi Kai.*
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei is a five episode OVA series that is somewhat of a sequel to Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, though with only the three episodes in the middle actually serving as the sequel. These three episodes feature Rika arriving in another timeline where things are essentially perfect and all of the tragedies that befell the cast of Hinamizawa in all the other timelines simply never happened.
As such, it’s a look at how the cast was shaped by their experiences and how they could have ended up comp…
Read at the sourceprojectma
Okay, so, for the second half, it was pretty good. Well, it was fine. I didn't mind it. It was Higurashi, so I'd take what I could get.
But what the actual hell was that fanservice? Literally disgusting, I hated it. All the characters are 14 or younger. I can handle the little bit of fanservice in the main series, but I absolutely despised it here. I know any series like this is bound to have fanservice and that Higurashi has it in other parts of the series as well, but that doesn't mean I have to like it. I'd almost say it's not worth watching just because of that.
Maybe I'm overreacting, but I just couldn't stand to see the 11 year olds be so sexualized in one of my favorite shows. Gross.
Read at the sourceIzzyMarrie
I have some massive mixed feelings about this OVA. I feel this is the piece of the story we didn't need to know but had its good moments.
First, I'll start by saying that you can actually split this into 2 parts as the final episode is its own arc and separate from the rest. The way I'll do my review is by starting from the serious episodes 2-5, then the 1st then last episode.
Episodes 2-5 are the actual serious parts, the meat of the story for this OVA. It opened up a pretty interesting premise, one where Rika is thrust into a timeline where the goddess cannot reach her, and she has an extremely short amount of time to find a piece of something that can restore the ability for her to return.
I won't spoil it too much, but it didn't actually focus on the syndrome but rather if Rika must…
Read at the sourcemoe_sama
Higurashi: Rei takes the happy ending found at the end of Higurashi: Kai and flips it on its head. This story here captures the fact that your actions, no matter the intent, have consequences. Here the protagonist is faced with the duality of a seemingly perfect existence and the existence that they have fought so hard to achieve. There are choices to be made.
As always, beautiful art and sound. Ever improving animation. And a capstone to finish off one of the most well known stories in anime.
If you stuck through the first and second seasons of Higurashi there's no reason you'll have trouble sitting through this one. It's a touching story that keeps on giving. Long time fans will be happy to see the cast one more time in this "What if?" scenario.
Read at the sourceTyrannicswine117
Warning possible Spoilers
With a story that ends in the best way possible I was a little surprised when I discovered a third season, luckily it was only 5 episodes so it was pretty much something for us fans who wanted to see some kind of aftermath for the characters oh so we thought.
After breaking the cycle Rika and the others are finally able to enjoy their lives, but suddenly Rika ends up in an accident which somehow transports her back in time to another world where all her friends seem to have never experienced the horrible things in their past which makes Rika think which world is worth more.
For only 5 episodes well technically 3 this small sub-plot where Rika goes to another world by accident was actually pretty interesting because she had to make a choice between two worlds whe…
Read at the sourceEagleshadow
After first episode of ABANDON ALL LOGIC, I was afraid this won't be Higurashi at all, but just some stupid spinoff parody. Luckily, after first episode, it goes on to be the Higurashi we expect and love. It lays down another mystery that didn't even feel out of place, and even went on to further explain some of the in universe mechanics that were left unexplored. Mystery was in true Higurashi style, and it was pretty great. Definitely recommended to anyone who enjoyed Higurashi. Final resolution was just slightly sketchy. Continued in spoiler section:
SPOILERS AHEAD:
Hanyuu's argument in the end, of doing it because of learning respect for her parents was a bit weak and too culture-showing-down-our-throats. But on the other hand whole thing holds water even better with argument of doi…
Read at the sourceTheManiacalGamer
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei mostly centers around the character Rika Furude (Let's be honest when isn't she a part of the show in some way) and the ordeals she faces when she finds herself in a completely different world than what she's used to. The story details how desperate Rika can actually get when faced with an ordeal like the kind she's in during this OVA. I found it enjoyable because it gave a lot of explanation to everything that happens and so much more.
Read at the sourceWhiteBakemono
Anime: Higurashi no Naku koro ni Rei
Title: Lost all faith in this series.
About the Anime: Several months have passed since the horrific events in Hinamizawa came to an end. Little by little life returns to normal, with Rika and her friends doing their best to put the past them and mend their old wounds. All seems to be going well until one day tragedy strikes again as Rika is unexpectedly involved in a bloody traffic accident that shatters her short-lived peace. As she wakes, she finds herself thrust back into the nightmare summer of 1983, and sets out to once again correct Hinamizawa's twisted killing cycle. Rika soon realizes, however, that such a task is more difficult than she first imagined; this Hinamizawa is drastically different from all those in the past, and now more than jus…
Read at the sourcesk3499
If you are a big higurashi fan like me, you may not like these ova's as much as the first and second season. First of all, skip episodes 1 and 5 right off the bat.... too silly to watch, totally destroys the feel of the show. For the good-ish episodes, watch 2-4 of the ova's. They are a real chapter... though in my opinion a little less well done than the first 2 season's.
Read at the sourceL-sama
To be honest, I was a little leery about picking up this installment of the Higurashi franchise. The first Higurashi series was a blast, but Kai left a bit of a bitter aftertaste with how it handled its two crucial arcs. Still, I wanted to see where the series could go despite not knowing what to expect and even after all of the questions were already answered. I’m glad I did.
Be advised: The first and last OVA are nothing like the rest of this short series. They serve as comedic buffers to the main storyline in which humor makes virtually no appearances at all. In light of this, some viewers may see these episodes as out of place and understandably so. If you are a fan of the brand of humor Higurashi had at the beginning of its arcs, then you’ll be right at home here. Both episodes are f…
Read at the sourceSimonian
"Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei" takes place right after the events of "Higurashi Kai" so even though this is actually an OVA, it could also be classified as the third series. To put it simply, Rei is hilarious. Think of this as a reward for all the horror you went through watching the first two series.
The first episode is all about comedy, when I watched it I couldn't believe my own eyes, I couldn't believe that I was actually watching Higurashi. To put it bluntly, it looked more like teenage softcore porn. Yes, I know what I just said. But when Rena suddenly keeps on fantasising about Keiichi's... stuff, and on top of that we see Takano in a very revealing bikini, then well, there's no other way to describe it.
Then we have the 3 'main episodes' the ones which continue the plot where…
Read at the sourceHurvilo
Pointless.
That is the one word that sums up Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei. Even before I started watching this, I questioned whether the excellent Higrashi no Naku Koro ni Kai really needed a sequel. The answer is no, it doesn't.
What saves Rei from the chasm of utter disappointment is the two comedy episodes, as those serve to tell the story of what happened after Kai, when Rika finally had escaped the cycle of endless deaths. Those two episodes - the first and the last - are great in their own way, as they serve as a sort of "reward" to us viewers. Fanservice, if you will.
However, the three middle episodes, falls short. The premise is promising indeed - Rika finds herself in yet another world, where everything is very different - but the arc simply do not pay off. The majority of th…
Read at the sourceDiassia
I've spent so long trying to find this last part of the Higurashi series and I wasn't at all disappointed.
As others have already discussed, the first and last episodes are simply comic relief. I enjoyed both of them - although while watching the first one and having explained to my friend about the gore and horror behind Higurashi, I was surprised at the daft storyline throughout the first episode. Despite that I loved it and loved how all the different characters who you had seen through the other two series are portrayed including Irie and Takano, etc.
Then, of course, there is the main plotline which is fantastically thought out. I loved how they explored how each character would be if they had not commited the sins that they had in previous to the first two series. Of course, Rika…
Read at the sourcemissmindkill
ok so this is my first ever review
although the story seemed to have ended with higurashi no naku koro ni kai
the second series in the when they cry trilogy
this 5 ep ova to the series still continues to excite warm and intrigue you
the first ep admittedly throws you of your guard although being a very complicated mysterious psychological type series u have to admit it has its sweet warming and very very funny episodes andscenes.
but it is these scenes that create a great part in creating shock and awe when the inevitable happens and this is just how this ova does it
it reels u in in the first ep with some good old fun and then throws another twist in your direction.
leaving u to once again wonder just what amazing thing has happened now
i loved this anime because of just that and w…
Read at the sourceArchon_Wing
Higurashi Rei is the epilogue for the entire story. For those of you that are expecting more craziness, this isn't really the place to look for it as Kai had wrapped up everything properly. However, if you'd like to gain more insight into the world of Higurashi as well as deal with character introspection, check this out. It's best to think of this as a closing act. The first and fifth episode of the series are just slapstick comedy and don't bear any relevance-- they are just for fun.
In general, the story delves into the character's pasts a bit more, and comes up with a final scenario that questions the value of the struggle throughout the entire story. Despite the fact that the main story in the OVAs was very dialogue heavy I was able to reflect upon the series as a whole with Rika's t…
Read at the sourceYemi_Hikari
Story: 8
For the most part, the storyline is good. It is well thought out, and even original, and rather enjoyable. However, there is a thing about the first episode of Higurashi no Naku ni Rei. It doesn't quite fit with the rest of the Higurashi no Naku that we know.
How to put it, it seems more like something we might see from "The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya." Or maybe one of the random Omake from the end of Bleach This isn't a bad thing, but if one has come to expect something from a fandom, it might come across as an actual shock to the system.
It doesn't quite fit, and one might feel that there were things let out, and that some things are overly exagerated. Enjoyable, yes, but probabbly not one expected. The thing is, before one makes the judgement of the OVA, don't drop it o…
Read at the sourcekurodayuchi
There are crucial times in our lives when we made the wrong decision and we wish we had acted differently, then, not only us, but perhaps the whole universe would be brought to be different as well.
After finally getting to the end of the "perpetual murders", Rika is riding bicycle with her friends till she gets run over by a truck, which makes Hanyuu transport her to another reality in order to avoid the accident that could result in Rika's death. Yet, this time, in this other world, she cannot find Keiichi, Takano and other characters, while Satoko’s brother and Rika’s parents are still living in Hinamizawa.
Things start to get complicated when the two realities start to overwrite one another and Rika needs to decide which reality she wants to live in: a whitish world or a place stain…
Read at the sourceddrcrono
Since a review is ~not~ supposed to be an plot summary, I'll give a general feel of what to expect and my opinion about it:
This OVA is broken into two basic sections: Silly episodes (the first and last) and plot episodes (the middle episodes).
You will likely not enjoy the silly episodes if you did not enjoy the silly/cute side of Higurashi. If, on the other hand you liked the antics throughout Higurashi, the silly episodes will probably just make your day. (They were the highlight of the OVA for me, though that's just personal taste).
The plot episodes have more of a traditional Higurashi feel to them - suspense and mystery are essential elements, though it's a different sort than we're used to, I would say it's much more 'subtle' than the main series. I can't say I enjoyed these epis…
Read at the sourceSamFury
Sea-bears and Skylines
Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Rei [Rei] is the third installment of the Higurashi series based on the games created by 07th Expansion. Like the game, Rei covers the events after Furude Rika had finally escaped the meandering halls of fate, breaking the cycle of repetition.
Rei serves as more of a side story, giving small view into life after reiterating summer. The first and last episodes of the set OVA's are for purely comedic purposes. Nothing really happens and the only insight we get into any of the characters is that Rena finds Keichii's 'sea-bear' cute. Yes folks Higurashi went there... they implied our brunette buxom wanted Maebara's little friend.
The episodes in-between, 2 through 5 or the Dice Killing Chapter, serve as a more serious side story. Rika one da…
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