Higurashi: When They Cry is an excellent dōjin soft (fan-made) visual novel (turn-based, text-oriented) video game from the early-2000s that still stands the test of time to this day. It arguably sets the standard for mystery/horror seinen anime/manga/video games that are cleverly disguised as shonen/shojo. The game was originally released in 2002 for PC and was later ported to the PS2, PS3 and PS Vita. An anime adaptation from Studio Deen was released during the Spring 2006 anime season which consisted fo 26 episodes. A second anime adaptation titled When They Cry: Kai, based on a different route (visual novels are often choice-based games with several different outcomes i.e Fate/Stay Night) quickly followed in the Summer 2007 anime season, consisting of 24 episodes.
A new anime adaptation from Studio Passione was originally slated for release this July but was pushed back due to the coronavirus pandemic. The new anime has now been confirmed to air in October.
While some Higurashi fans were hopeful that the new series would cover a handful of arcs and spinoff material not touched on the previous production from Studio Deen, previously released footage has confirmed that the new work is a reboot.
In addition to being a masterful suspense drama, the original anime maintains its cult-like fan following thanks to its stellar OP, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni from Eiko Shimamiya. A lot of veteran anime fans are wondering if the new opening will be able to fill its shoes. You can check out the original below.
A short PV of the new anime adaptation from Passione can be viewed below.
Keiichi Maebara has just moved to the very small town of Hinamizawa. He's making friends and generally enjoying his life, until one day, when he learns of a grisly murder that took place in the little village. His friends won't tell him any of the details, which only adds to his uneasiness. At the town's yearly festival, he learns that there has been a death on that night every year for four years, and they're all attributed to the Curse of Oyashiro-sama, a punishment for those who supported the dam project that would have put Hinamizawa underwater.