Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

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Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
ひぐらしのなく頃に (When Cicadas Cry)
Genre	Mystery, Horror, Psychological, Suspense
Game: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni & Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai
Developer	07th Expansion
Publisher	07th Expansion
Genre	Doujin, Visual novel
Platform	PC, PS2
Released	Onikakushi-hen - August 10, 2002 (Comiket 62) Watanagashi-hen - December 29, 2002 (Comiket 63) Tatarigoroshi-hen - August 15, 2003 (Comiket 64) Himatsubushi-hen - August 13, 2004 (Comiket 66) Meakashi-hen - December 30, 2004 (Comiket 67) Tsumihoroboshi-hen - August 14, 2005 (Comiket 68) Minagoroshi-hen - December 30, 2005 (Comiket 69) Matsuribayashi-hen - August 13, 2006 (Comiket 70)
Manga
Authored by	Onikakushi-hen & Tsumihoroboshi-hen Karin Suzuragi Watanagashi-hen & Meakashi-hen Yutori Hōjō Tatarigoroshi-hen Jirō Suzuki Himatsubushi-hen Yoshiki Tonogai Onisarashi-hen En Kitō Yoigoshi-Hen Mimori
Publisher	Square Enix (Main series) Kadokawa Shoten (Onisarashi-hen)
Serialized in	Onikakushi-hen & Tsumihoroboshi-hen Gangan Powered Watanagashi-hen & Meakashi-hen Gangan WING Tatarigoroshi-hen & Yoigoshi-hen GFantasy Himatsubushi-hen Gangan Onisarashi-hen Comp Ace
Original run	March 2006 –
No. of volumes	10 (currently)
TV anime
Directed by	Chiaki Kon
Studio	Studio DEEN
Network	Kansai TV, Chiba TV, Tokai TV
Original run	April 4, 2006 – September 26, 2006
No. of episodes	26

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (ひぐらしのなく頃に, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni^? lit. When Cicadas Cry) is the title of a Japanese murder-mystery style doujin visual novel series based on the NScripter engine, produced by 07th Expansion. The series revolves around a group of young friends and the strange events that occur in the village they live in. The first game in the series, Onikakushi-hen, was released on August 10, 2002 and the final game, entitled Matsuribayashi-hen, was released on August 13, 2006.

The series became very popular and was later made into a set of drama CDs; the first, based on the Onikakushi-hen part of the story, was released on May 27, 2005. Later, a manga series adapted from the games began serialization in March 2006. Following the manga's release, an anime series by Japanese animation studio Studio DEEN began airing in Japan weekly, starting on April 4, 2006.

The naku (なく, naku^?) of the title has a double meaning. Firstly, naku can mean "to make sound" (鳴く), specifically referring to sounds non-human organisms make. This form of naku does not have a direct English translation and is covered by a variety of words such as "bark", "chirp", and "growl". Secondly, naku can mean "to weep" (泣く). It just so happens that "cry" can carry the same double meaning in English as naku.

According to the original creator, Ryukishi07, the red Na (な) in the logo is an official part of the title.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Plot 2 Characters 2.1 In Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 2.1.1 Main characters 2.1.2 Supporting characters 2.2 In Onisarashi-hen (manga) 2.3 In Yoigoshi-hen (manga) 3 Story arcs 3.1 Question arcs 3.2 Answer arcs 3.3 "Extra" arcs 3.4 Side stories 3.5 PS2 game 4 Media 4.1 Video games 4.1.1 PC 4.1.2 PS2 console port 4.2 Drama CDs 4.3 Manga 4.3.1 "Question" arcs 4.3.2 "Answer" arcs 4.3.3 Side stories 4.4 Anime 4.4.1 Episodes 4.4.2 TV stations 4.4.3 Production staff 4.5 Music 4.5.1 Anime theme songs 4.5.2 Background music 5 References 6 External links

[edit] Plot

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni takes place during June 1983, at a fictional rural village called Hinamizawa (雛見沢, Hinamizawa^?) (based on the village of Shirakawa, Gifu, a World Heritage Site)^{[1] [2]}, which has a population of approximately 2000. The main character, Keiichi Maebara, moves to Hinamizawa and befriends his classmates Rena Ryugū, Mion Sonozaki, Rika Furude, and Satoko Houjou. Keiichi joins their after-school club activities, consisting mostly of card and board games. Hinamizawa appears to be a normal, peaceful village to Keiichi. However, the tranquility abruptly ends after the annual Watanagashi Festival, a local festivity to commemorate and give thanks to the local god, Oyashiro-sama. Keiichi learns that for the past four years, one person has been murdered and another has gone missing, never to be seen again, on the day of the Watanagashi Festival. Keiichi himself soon becomes implicated into the strange events surrounding the Watanagashi Festival and Oyashiro-sama. As the series unfolds, numerous questions are encountered.

[edit] Characters

The seiyū are the same for the drama CDs and the TV anime, with a few exceptions.

[edit] In Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

[edit] Main characters

Keiichi Maebara (前原圭一, Maebara Keiichi)^?, (Seiyū - Souichirou Hoshi)

The main protagonist in the "question" arcs who has just recently moved to Hinamizawa. His charismatic and remarkable talent in speech makes him capable of making new friends and forging amiable social relationships. Throughout the series, he gradually becomes paranoid due to the strange events surrounding the town and the supposed curse of Oyashiro-sama. This paranoia has different severities depending on the chapter and works in different ways. When he needs a weapon, he uses Satoshi's old baseball bat.

Rena Ryūgū (竜宮レナ, Ryūgū Rena)^?, (Seiyū - Mai Nakahara)

She moved back to Hinamizawa one year before and is in the same grade-level as Keiichi. She tends to end sentences with ~kana, kana as a reference to the noise that the cicadas make around the area. She has an obsession with things she perceives as cute - generally, these things are not considered cute by others.

Rena (left) and Mion (right)

Every now and then, she goes treasure hunting in the town's trash heap (which has its own sordid past), searching for cute things to collect. According to Mion, while Rena might look cutesy, people should be careful not to anger her, as she becomes quite scary when angered. When she needs a weapon, she uses a special cleaver that she must have found at the trash heap.

Mion Sonozaki (園崎魅音, Sonozaki Mion)^?, (Seiyū - Satsuki Yukino)

The oldest classmate in Keiichi's class. As the elder, she is the class president and everyone looks up to her as a leader. Her social skills are on par with Keiichi, whom she highly respects as a dear friend and rival (Though it is later shown that she has deep affections for him). She often calls herself ojisan meaning old man. She is also the next-in-line for the head of the Sonozaki household, which holds tremendous influence in Hinamizawa. She is often seen with a holstered airsoft gun.

Satoko Hōjō (北条沙都子, Hōjō Satoko)^?, (Seiyū - Mika Kanai)

She is a younger classmate in Keiichi's school. She has a distinctive style of speech, ending all of her sentences with ~wa which, at times, is grammatically incorrect.

Satoko (left) and Rika (right)

In spite of her young age, she really is quite clever in setting up traps. Although her personality is quite energetic and mischievous now, she had lived an awful past which still haunts her to this day. She dislikes Kabocha, and cannot tell the difference between cauliflower and broccoli.

Rika Furude (古手梨花, Furude Rika)^?, (Seiyū - Yukari Tamura)

The main character in Minagoroshi-hen. She is a younger classmate in Keiichi's school, and is in the same grade level as Satoko. Naturally, she is great friends with her as they live together in the same house. She is revered by the villagers as the only child of the local shrine, and always plays the role of a miko in the annual Watanagashi Festival. She has been the head of the Furude house ever since her parents died, but rarely, if ever, attends the town meetings due to her young age. She uses "boku" for first-person statements, a word which is usually used only by males. While she does not speak a lot, she tends to mutter cute words such as mi~ and nipa~ which makes Rena scream out about how cute she acts and how she wants to take her home. She also tends to end all her sentences with ~desu. Interestingly, she occasionally shows a secondary personality whose manner of speech is much more advanced than what her age would suggest. She also seems to have clairvoyant ability.

Shion Sonozaki (園崎詩音, Sonozaki Shion)^?, (Seiyū - Satsuki Yukino)

Mion's identical twin sister who currently resides in Okinomiya. In spite of their different personalities, she and Mion often switch places and it eventually becomes difficult to distinguish who is who. Meakashi-hen is told from her point of view. She works at the Angel-Mort restaurant and is also the team manager's assistant for the Hinamizawa Fighters little league team. She is often seen carrying a taser.

[edit] Supporting characters

Satoshi Hōjō (北条悟史, Hōjō Satoshi)^?, (Seiyū - Mitsuki Saiga (drama CD), Yū Kobayashi (anime))

The older brother of Satoko Houjou. Although he is missing, he is a key person in the actions of several characters in Higurashi. Similar to Satoko, he too cannot distinguish the difference between cauliflower and broccoli. Because of this, it is assumed that both Satoshi and Satoko are color-blind. Satoshi is referred to by Satoko as Nii-Nii as a childish form of the Japanese word Ani (兄, Ani^? meaning older brother).

Oyashiro

Always referred to as Oyashiro-sama, he is a deity observed in Hinamizawa and appears to be rather violent and brutal. His sacred shrine is full of ancient torture equipment. Legend says that the Oyashiro brought peace between the villagers of Onigafuchi, the former name of Hinamizawa, and the demons that spouted from the Onigafuchi Marsh.

Kuraudo Ōishi (大石蔵人, Ōishi Kuraudo)^?, (Seiyū - Chafurin)

A veteran police investigator at Okinomiya who vows to solve the mystery of the Hinamizawa murders before his retirement due to personal reasons. Due to his tactics and the lengths that he goes to in order to solve the mystery, he is looked upon as a nuisance by the villagers.

Jirō Tomitake (富竹ジロウ, Tomitake Jirō)^?, (Seiyū - Tōru Ōkawa)

A freelance photographer who comes to Hinamizawa once in a while. He gets along well with Miyo Takano, because of their similar interests in photography.

Miyo Takano (鷹野三四, Takano Miyo)^?, (Seiyū - Miki Ito)

A nurse at the village clinic who also has a keen interest in Hinamizawa's past and culture. At times, her storytelling can be very mysterious and chilling.

Kyōsuke Irie (入江京介, Irie Kyōsuke)^?, (Seiyū - Toshihiko Seki)

The head doctor of the village clinic. Despite his young age and the fact that he has severe maid fetishes, he is highly respected in the community. He will work outside of his clinic and truly cares about everyone's health. On a different note, he has admitted that he wishes to marry Satoko when she's older, but is not above chasing after Rika when she's wearing one of the uniforms from the restaurant Angel Mort. He is the manager of the village's baseball little league team, the Hinamizawa Fighters.

Rumiko Chie (知恵留美子, Chie Rumiko)^?, (Seiyū - Fumiko Orikasa)

The female teacher of Keiichi's class who is also a parody character of Tsukihime's Ciel-Senpai (permission for her usage was given by TYPE-MOON). It is interesting to note that the seiyū for her character is the same as Ciel from Tsukihime. Going along with the parody, her favorite food is curry rice just like Ciel.

Mamoru Akasaka (赤坂衛, Akasaka Mamoru)^?, (Seiyū - Takehito Koyasu (drama CD), Daisuke Ono (anime))

The main character in Himatsubushi-hen and Matsuribayashi-hen. He is a young police investigator at the Metropolitan Police Department in Tokyo. He befriended Rika while investigating a case in Hinamizawa.

Tatsuyoshi Kasai (葛西辰由, Kasai Tatsuyoshi)^?, (Seiyū - Fumihiko Tachiki)

He had a glorious past with the Sonozakis, but he has settled down to become Shion's caretaker.

Teppei Hōjō (北条鉄平, Hōjō Teppei)^?, (Seiyū - Katsuhisa Houki)

Satoko and Satoshi's uncle/foster father. He and his wife were forced to take care of Satoko and Satoshi after the death of their parents, but they abused them physically. Currently lives in Okinomiya. According to Kasai, he is a pimp and uses his lover Rina, to swindle men out of their money.

Tamae Hōjō (北条玉枝, Houjou Tamae)^?, (Seiyū - Kujira)

Satoko and Satoshi's aunt/foster mother.

Oryō Sonozaki (園崎お魎, Sonozaki Oryou)^?, (Seiyū - Okohira Shizuka)

Mion and Shion's grandmother and head of the Sonozaki household. She appears to be a very harsh old woman and is the most powerful person in Hinamizawa.

Kiichirō Kimiyoshi (公由喜一郎, Kimiyoshi Kiichirou)^?, (Seiyū - Tsukada Masaaki)

Hinamizawa's village head.

Rina Mamiya (間宮リナ, Mamiya Rina)^?, (Seiyū - Watanabe Misa)

A woman who appears in Rena's life in the story Tsumihoroboshi-hen. She is the lover of Teppei Hōjō, and together they pull off dubius crimes to swindle men out of their money.

Hanyū Furude (古手羽入, Furude Hanyū^?)

The mysterious "transfer student" in Matsuribayashi-hen. She always wears a miko outfit and a pair of horns is attached on her head. She also has a close connection to Rika.

[edit] In Onisarashi-hen (manga)

Natsumi Kimiyoshi (公由夏美, Kimiyoshi Natsumi^?)

A normal high school girl who recently moved from rural Okinomiya to a large city. With her bright personality, she makes new friends at her new place of living. She has received a confession of love by Akira Toudou , whom she also likes in return. However, she hasn't given an answer to that yet. She shrugs off the beliefs and culture of her ancestral home at Hinamizawa, and is in disgust of her overly-superstitious grandmother who lives with her.

Kuraudo Ōishi (大石蔵人, Ōishi Kuraudo^?)

He consistently pursues his interest in making contact with Natsumi to find out the truth about a certain "unsolved mystery."

Mamoru Akasaka (赤坂衛, Akasaka Mamoru^?)

An elite career investigator from the Metropolitan Police Department in Tokyo. He teams up with Oishi to solve a certain mystery.

[edit] In Yoigoshi-hen (manga)

Akira Otobe (乙部彰, Otobe Akira^?)

A man with amnesia wandering in the forest of the deserted Hinamizawa. He looks much like Satoshi...

Mion Sonozaki (園崎魅音, Sonozaki Mion^?)

A woman who claims to have been in Hinamizawa ever since the disaster; her true identity remains a mystery.

Ryūnosuke Arakawa (荒川龍ノ介, Arakawa Ryūnosuke^?)

A tabloid reporter who travels to Hinamizawa when its lockdown is ended in the present day.

Yae Towada (十和田八重, Towada Yae^?)

Takumi Kurosawa (黒澤工, Kurosawa Takumi^?)

Akutagawa (芥川, Akutagawa^?)

Machi & Chiaki (マチ・千秋, Machi - Chiaki^?)

[edit] Story arcs

In the Higurashi games, there are several story arcs, which are referred to as either "Question" arcs or "Answer" arcs. The Answer arcs generally recapitulate the events of the corresponding Question arc, but from a different perspective, using the change of protagonist to solve various mysteries and come to a different conclusion. Each of the eight original games for the PC represented separate arcs of the overall storyline. Although apart from the main Question/Answer relationship the stories of the arcs are not directly connected, a multitude of parallels exist which allow the observant reader to gain extra insight into the mystery.

[edit] Question arcs

The Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (ひぐらしのなく頃に, When Cicadas Cry^?) games form the Question arcs. These first four games of the series were meant to give the player a sense of the world where the story takes place and introduce the mysterious circumstances surrounding the village of Hinamizawa. Since there are no concrete answers given to the questions that the story presents in these arcs, the Question arcs allow the player to form his or her own opinions about the events taking place in Hinamizawa.

Onikakushi-hen (鬼隠し編, Demoning Away Chapter)^?, (Released August 10, 2002)

This chapter introduces the player to the world of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. The player is shown the simple rural life of Hinamizawa, the after-school club activities, and the friendships of the main characters. However, things take a turn for the sinister after the Watanagashi Festival... This chapter implies that Rena Ryugū is the "villain."

Watanagashi-hen (綿流し編, Cotton Drifting Chapter)^?, (Released December 29, 2002)

By this chapter, the player should have an overall idea of how life in Hinamizawa is like. Once again, this chapter begins innocently, with the Watanagashi Festival again marking the start of the sinister events in Hinamizawa. Shion Sonozaki makes her first appearance in this chapter, while Mion Sonozaki is portrayed as the "villain."

Tatarigoroshi-hen (祟殺し編, Curse Killing Chapter)^?, (Released August 15, 2003)

Tatarigoroshi-hen is longer than the previous two chapters, but it is also the most depressing and confusing. This time, the spotlight shines on Satoko Hōjō as being the "victim." Interestingly, Keiichi Maebara is portrayed as the "villain" in this chapter.

Himatsubushi-hen (暇潰し編, Time Wasting Chapter)^?, (Released August 13, 2004)

Himatsubushi-hen is both a direct prequel to the third chapter and in a way, at the end, also a direct sequel to Tatarigoroshi-hen. In contrast to the first three chapters, this chapter is shown through the eyes of Mamoru Akasaka, a young police investigator from Tokyo who comes to Hinamizawa in order to investigate a kidnapping of a politician's grandchild. Soon, he too becomes implicated into the mysteries of Hinamizawa. This chapter focuses mainly on Rika Furude as being the "key part" of the mystery.

[edit] Answer arcs

The Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (ひぐらしのなく頃に解, When Cicadas Cry Solutions^?) games form the Answer arcs. The last four games released in the series, were, in contrast to the Question arcs, meant to answer all of the questions presented in the first half of the series. These arcs can be considered the "solutions" of the previous arcs. Note that each Answer arc game contains all of the previous Answer arcs.

Meakashi-hen (目明し編, Eye Opening Chapter)^?, (Released December 30, 2004)

Solution to Watanagashi-hen. Meakashi-ken consists of the events of Watanagashi-hen told from the perspective of Shion Sonozaki, with minor variations as compared to Watangashi-hen.

Tsumihoroboshi-hen (罪滅し編, Atonement Chapter)^?, (Released August 14, 2005)

Solution to Onikakushi-hen. Unlike Meakashi-hen, Tsumihoroboshi-hen's story is much different from the plot of its Question arc. In Tsumihoroboshi-hen, Rena experiences a situation similar to Keiichi's in Onikakushi-hen. This chapter explains much of what went wrong in Onikakushi-hen, with Rena depicted as the "victim."

Minagoroshi-hen (皆殺し編, Massacre Chapter)^?, (Released December 30, 2005)

Essentially, this chapter is the solution to Tatarigoroshi-hen; however, it also answers most of the major common mysteries of the previous arcs. Most notably, the true identity of the murderer is finally revealed in Minagoroshi-hen. After Minagoroshi-hen, one more effort is needed to seal the story into a happy ending.

Matsuribayashi-hen (祭囃し編, Festival Accompanying Chapter)^?, (Released August 13, 2006)

In Minagoroshi-hen, the mastermind of the murders was revealed. This time, all the pieces of the puzzle are in place. The last step for the characters to take is putting the pieces together in order to defeat the culprit, obtain the miracle, and break through the barrier of June 1983. However, Matsuribayashi-hen is only a "Good End" in which no major deaths occur.

(Note: This chapter also caused some controversy because of its mention of the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.)

[edit] "Extra" arcs

Two extra chapters were created for Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei (ひぐらしのなく頃に礼, When Cicadas Cry Gratitudes^?). They are set to be released on December 31, 2006.

Saigoroshi-hen (賽殺し編, Dice Killing Chapter^?)

This is an epilogue of Matsuribayashi-hen, which happened two months after the story.

Hirukowashi-hen (昼壊し編, Daybreak Chapter^?)

This is a story adaption of Higurashi Daybreak.

[edit] Side stories

These side stories are original chapters serialized in manga form which supplement the games and partially continue the story.

Onisarashi-hen (鬼曝し編, Demon Exposing Chapter^?)

In Onisarashi-hen, a former Hinamizawa girl named Natsumi is introduced, and her life after the Hinamizawa disaster is shown.

Yoigoshi-hen (宵越し編, Overnight Chapter^?)

Since Minagoroshi-hen is a solution to the previous arcs, it would've been impossible to serialize it alongside Meakashi-hen and Tsumihoroboshi-hen. Therefore, a new story, Yoigoshi-hen, which focuses on Hinamizawa in the present day, was introduced for the purposes of the manga. TIPS for this chapter can be read via mobile phone at Gangan MOBILE. This chapter focuses on a tabloid reporter named Arakawa who travels to Hinamizawa after its lockdown is finally ended.

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (ひぐらしのなく頃に 怪, When Cicadas Cry Mysteries^?)

A prequel to Meakashi-hen. Starts serialization in Vol.10 (December 2006) of Comp Ace.

[edit] PS2 game

Three original chapters were created for Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri.

Taraimawashi-hen (盥回し篇, Power Cycling Chapter^?)

An additional Question arc.

Tsukiotoshi-hen (憑落し篇, Lost Resort Chapter^?)

An additional Answer arc and the solution to Taraimawashi-hen.

Miotsukushi-hen (澪尽し篇, Canal Drying Chapter^?)

While Matsuribayashi-hen is the epilogue of PC-port games, it is considered to be a "Good End" of the whole storyline. According to the original author, Miotsukushi-hen will be the "True End" of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.

[edit] Media

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni spans several different media types; it began as a visual novel video game, and was followed by a set of drama CDs and a manga series. Finally, an anime adaptation was produced, which began airing on April 5, 2006 in Japan.

[edit] Video games

[edit] PC

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni became immensely popular in Japan; over 100,000 copies of the original game were sold,^{[citation needed]} a feat not attained by a doujin game since TYPE-MOON released Tsukihime.

Many fans attribute the game's success to the bone-chilling suspense and horror the novel portrays, with no definite answer. The player is left with clues and hints to ponder about the mystery. Fan-based community boards emerged where fans began discussing their own theories. Popularity grew exponentially as many looked to its well outlined script and story, which eventually lead the game to be showcased in large gaming magazines with positive reviews.

The first game of the Higurashi visual novel video game series entitled Onikakushi-hen by 07th Expansion was first released on August 10, 2002. This was the first chapter of the "Question arcs" which went under the title Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. Later, the fifth game, which is also the first chapter of the "Answer arc", Meakashi-hen, was released on December 30, 2004. All of the games in the "Answer arcs" went under the title Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai.

The game is divided into a total of eight chapters: four "Question" arcs and four "Answer" arcs. Each chapter keeps the same main characters, but ends in a different way. However, each chapter gives valuable answers, hints, and clues to the previous one, while at the same time bringing forth even more mysteries.

The game also utilizes an intermission where the player can obtain several "TIPS". These "TIPS" allows the player to read information that may or may not be useful in solving the mystery. For example, one of the "TIPS" can be as simple as "this is a small village; children who go to this school are combined into one classroom regardless of what grade or year they are in." On the other hand, they can also provide valuable hints, such as being able to read the excerpts of the newspaper articles regarding the murders that occurred in Hinamizawa. ^[3]

At the beginning of each of the story arcs, a cryptic poem by someone known as Frederica Bernkastel is read; these reveal some of what is going to happen in the following arc.

There is also a doujin game, Higurashi Daybreak, from Twilight Frontier, the creators of Immaterial and Missing Power and Eternal Fighter Zero. It is a versus third-person shooter in which most of the characters of the main Higurashi series are playable.

[edit] PS2 console port

A consumer video game console port is projected to be released as Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri (ひぐらしのなく頃に祭, When Cicadas Cry Festival^?) by Alchemist in 2007 for the PS2.^[4] This will be the third doujin game to be ported to a video game console; the first was Hanakisō by HaccaWorks* , and the second was Melty Blood from French-Bread. Although Higurashi was the first to have a consumer PS2 port announced, its longer development time will make it the third to be released.

The PS2 port differs from the original game series in that it will include full voice acting, redrawn CGs, and integration of different arcs.

It has been noted the PS2 port will include the first seven PC arcs (Matsuribayashi-hen is excluded) and three original "Final" arcs - Taraimawashi-hen, Tsukiotoshi-hen and Miotsukushi-hen. After the original seven arcs are cleared, the first two "Final" arcs will be available. Furthermore, when these two "Final" arcs are cleared, the epilogue, Miotsukushi-hen, will be unlocked.

[edit] Drama CDs

Sold through by WAYUTA

1. Onikakushi-hen (Released May 27, 2005)
2. Watanagashi-hen (Released December 22, 2005)
3. Append Disc 01 (Released January 20, 2006)
4. Tatarigoroshi-hen (Released June 28, 2006)

Sold through by Frontier Works

1. Anthology Drama CD 1 (Released December 22, 2005)
2. Anthology Drama CD 2 (Released March 24, 2006)

[edit] Manga

There are six main titles in the Higurashi manga series, spanning the four "question" arcs and the first two "answer" arcs. Each of these are rather short and are to be compiled into two tankōbon for each title. In addition, there are two side-story manga, not based on the original game series.

[edit] "Question" arcs

1. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Onikakushi-hen
   
   Manga art: Karin Suzuragi
   Serialized in Gangan Powered
   Vol. 1: ISBN 4757515901
   Vol. 2: ISBN 4757517041
   
2. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Watanagashi-hen
   
   Manga art: Yutori Hōjō
   Serialized in Monthly Gangan WING
   Vol. 1: ISBN 475751591X
   Vol. 2: ISBN 4757517106
   
3. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Tatarigoroshi-hen
   
   Manga art: Jirō Suzuki
   Serialized in Monthly GFantasy
   Vol. 1: ISBN 4757515928
   Vol. 2: ISBN 4757517122
   
4. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Himatsubushi-hen
   
   Manga art: Yoshiki Tonogai
   Serialized in Gangan
   Vol. 1: ISBN 4757517416
   

[edit] "Answer" arcs

1. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Tsumihoroboshi-hen
   Manga art: Karin Suzuragi
   Serialized in summer 2006 volume of Gangan Powered
   
2. Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Meakashi-hen
   Manga art: Yutori Hōjō
   Started serializtion in August 2006 issue of Monthly Gangan WING
   

[edit] Side stories

Onisarashi-hen (鬼曝し編, Demon Exposing Chapter^?)

Manga art: En Kitō

Serialized in Vol.1 (March 2005) - Vol.8 (July 2006) of Comp Ace.

Vol. 1: ISBN 4047138150

Vol. 2: ISBN 4047138622

Yoigoshi-hen (宵越し編, Overnight Chapter^?)

Manga art: Mimori

Starts serialization in August 2006 issue of G-Fantasy.

[edit] Anime

The anime version of Higurashi contains the four question arcs as well as the first two answer arcs. The series has finished airing and is currently only available on DVD in Japan.

A second series will be broadcast in April 2007.^[5]

[edit] Episodes

Main article: List of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni episodes

[edit] TV stations

Initial airdate	TV station	Day & Time
April 4, 2006	Kansai TV	Tuesdays @ 25:55
April 5, 2006	Chiba TV	Wednesdays @ 25:30
April 5, 2006	TV Saitama	Wednesdays @ 26:00
April 8, 2006	tvk (TV Kanagawa)	Saturdays @ 25:00
May 4, 2006	Tokai TV	Thursdays @ 27:27
May 27, 2006	AT-X	Saturdays @ 13:30 & 23:30, Wednesdays @ 17:30 & 27:30

Bandai Channel and Animate TV began on-demand online downloads on May 15, 2006.

[edit] Production staff

• Original Author：Ryukishi07
• Director：Chiaki Kon
• Series Coordinator：Toshifumi Kawase
• Character Design：Kyuta Sakai
• Music：Kenji Kawai
• Anime Production：Studio DEEN

[edit] Music

[edit] Anime theme songs

• Opening theme - Higurashi no Naku Koro ni

Lyrics: Eiko Shimamiya

Music: Nakazawa Tomoyuki

Arrange: Nakazawa Tomoyuki & Takase Kazuya

Sung by: Eiko Shimamiya

Went on sale May 24, 2006

• Ending theme - why, or why not

Lyrics: interface

Music/Arrange: Hiroyuki Oshima

Sung by: Rekka Katakiri

Went on sale June 28, 2006

[edit] Background music

• The music for the Question arcs consists of license free songs found on the internet.
• The music for the Answer arcs was provided by doujin music artists that are fans of Higurashi.
• A CD album called Thanks/you was released by the doujin music artist, dai. Many of his tracks were used in the Answer arcs. Fans refer to this album as the original soundtrack, even though it does not include all of the tracks that were used in the game.

[edit] References

[edit] External links

• (Japanese) 07th Storming Party 07th Expansion original doujin site
• (Japanese) Oyashirosama.com Official website for the anime series
• (Japanese) Higurashi no Naku Koro ni drama CD Official website for the drama CDs
• (Japanese) GanGanNET：Higurashi no Naku Koro ni page
• (Japanese) AnimateTV：Higurashi no Naku Koro ni page
• (Japanese) Thanks / you dai's webpage for Higurashi no Naku Koro ni the original soundtrack, with MP3 excerpts
• (Japanese) Alchemist's Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri gamesite
• Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (anime) at Anime News Network's Encyclopedia
• English translation of TIPS at animesuki
• The Higurashi Project: English manga translation page
• Higurashi manga scanlation projects aggregate site
• Game translation project site (four patches for Minagoroshi-hen released so far)

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni v • d • e
Series:	List of anime episodes | Higurashi Daybreak
"Question" arcs:	Onikakushi-hen | Watanagashi-hen | Tatarigoroshi-hen | Himatsubushi-hen
"Answer" arcs:	Meakashi-hen | Tsumihoroboshi-hen | Minagoroshi-hen | Matsuribayashi-hen
Soundtracks:	Higurashi no Naku Koro ni | why, or why not | Thanks/you | Original soundtracks