Higurashi When They Cry Hou Introduction:


Higurashi When They Cry, known as "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni" in Japanese, is a series of Japanese murder mystery visual novels created by 07th Expansion. This series consists of the initial two installments within the When They Cry franchise and centers around a group of young friends living in the fictional village of Hinamizawa during the year 1983.


These visual novels were developed using the NScripter game engine and designed for the Microsoft Windows operating system. The first entry, "Onikakushi-hen," was released in August 2002, while the eighth and final game in the original PC series, "Matsuribayashi-hen," came out in August 2006. The first four games are collectively known as "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni," serving as the franchise's inaugural chapter. The subsequent four games were produced under the title "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai," representing the second chapter.

Gameplay:


A bonus fan disc named "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei" was made available in December 2006. To expand upon the narrative, new stories were crafted in manga form and video games for platforms like PlayStation 2 and Nintendo DS. MangaGamer released English versions of the original eight PC releases between 2009 and 2010. Additionally, two sets of drama CDs were produced by Wayuta and Frontier Works, and Kodansha published novelizations of the game series from August 2007 to March 2009. A manga series based on the games featured eight different manga artists, each working on one to three of the various story arcs. These manga adaptations were published by Square Enix and Kadokawa Shoten. Yen Press obtained the license to release the English version of the manga series, titled "Higurashi: When They Cry," with the first volume hitting shelves in November 2008.

The series also received anime adaptations. Studio Deen produced two anime television series in 2006 and 2007, initially known simply as "When They Cry" before 2020. A third anime adaptation was released as an original video animation (OVA) series in 2009. The first anime series was licensed in English by Geneon Entertainment in 2007, but the license expired in 2011. Sentai Filmworks subsequently acquired the rights to both anime seasons and the 2009 OVAs. A live-action film adaptation, directed and written by Ataru Oikawa, premiered in Japanese theaters in May 2008, followed by a sequel in April 2009. In 2016, a six-episode live-action television series adaptation debuted, with a four-episode sequel arriving in November 2016. A new anime television series produced by Passione aired from October 2020 to March 2021, with a sequel that aired from July to September 2021.

"Higurashi When They Cry" is categorized as a "sound novel," a variation of the visual novel genre that emphasizes sound and atmosphere. The story unfolds through narration and on-screen text during scenes, with characters represented as static two-dimensional sprites. Versions adapted for home consoles also incorporate voice acting by professional Japanese voice actors. The narrative is structured into chapters, each covering a distinct story arc, with the sequence of access strictly determined by the developers. Various characters take turns narrating the story. After reading a specific amount of text within a chapter, the user is prompted to save their progress and read "tips" that provide additional details about the story's setting and encourage speculation about its mysterious events.

Final Words:


The chapters are divided into two categories: "question arcs" and "answer arcs." Question arcs present self-contained stories set in alternate realities, while answer arcs explore the same scenarios to help the audience gain a better understanding of the events from the corresponding question arcs. Each chapter is assigned a "difficulty rating" indicating the complexity of the mystery. Upon completing a chapter, previously unlocked tips and scene images become accessible in a gallery from the main menu. Users can also access features such as the "Staff Room," where the writer Ryukishi07 discusses and analyzes the chapter, or the "All-Cast Review Session," in which the characters engage in meta-discussions about the events of the chapter.