Review of Higurashi: When They Cry – Kai

"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: 7Like 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 Japanese mountains to life in a way that pulls you in with how it frames and presents the visuals.

It's overall a very dark show, both in atmosphere and coloration, which intertwine excellently together to give it a dense, oppressive feel.

Sound and Voice Acting: 9

The opening, "Naraku no Hana (Flower in Hell)", by Eiko Shimamiya is a wonderfully haunting song that really sets the mood for the show, with lyrics to match. The ending song, "Taishō.a", by anNina is even more foreboding, with soft violin and piano that really affixes the ending scenes in the mind's eye, like an ellipsis at the end of a particularly thought provoking sentence.

Kenji Kawai, who also did the original Higurashi and Fate Stay Night's composition does more great work here. Most of the music is very atmospheric, setting the mood and tone for the show. It's very subtle, not in your face loud or obnoxiously playing over the characters. It creates tension, and resolution when necessary- very good.

Let's just say that Kai is the Yukari Tamura show, because her performance as Rika is nothing short of stunning. Certainly the best of her career, and that's saying something. As the focus is 90% on Rika throughout the show, we get a lot of time with her, and in three different voices. Ms. Tamura truly put in an award worthy performance for bringing little Rika to life through as many emotions and moods as can be brought through a visual medium in which the actors themselves are not present. Just excellent.

However much talent Yukari Tamura showed, it's nearly matched by Miki Itou's Miyo Takano. As a character who wasn't fully fleshed out in the original series, she plays a much larger role here, and is explored through an emotional and compelling voice role.

Characters: 10

The cast of Kai expands somewhat from the original series. The introduction of some new characters along with expanding the roles of previous supporting and main characters also expounded upon the intrigue that drives the heart of the show. Higurashi is a show that will lie to you. I was constantly on edge, trying to figure motivations and goals out, because it's never clear; not until it's too late.

The focus changes from one of each arc having a main character to just two "real" main characters. This enables the character driven portion of the story to be a lot more fleshed out and have less of the disjointed feel that the original had, where the perspectives of the different characters were constantly changing. This is much more nailed down, and is better for it. The familiar and the new faces all have weight in the story- no one is there just for the sake of having the "token character" for plot devices.

Story: 10

"The sin of this world is like Old Maid. Everyone pushes the one Old Maid onto one another. It's not a game you seek to win, but one in which you seek to make someone the loser. The sacrifice." - Miyo Takano

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Kai takes a somewhat different tonal and execution approach to its predecessor, in that it's a much more complex and intrigue driven narrative than outright horror. Gone are the short arcs that depict brutal murders and a hanging sense of "something is just...'wrong'", and in their place is a deep narrative filled with deceit, betrayal, hunger for power, cold blooded
hate, and a myriad of dark themes. Where Higurashi is the "tell", Kai is the "show".

The best suspense and mystery narratives are those that are not heavy handed in shoving the plot down your throat, but allowing you to discover for yourself, to guess and be proven wrong, and to ultimately be surprised and perhaps even shocked by the outcome. This is Higurashi. While everything is revealed to you in time and nothing left unresolved, the manner by which it slowly unveils creates a nearly tangible level of tension. Again, everything starts out happy and fun, but you know that it's just not going to end well.

Kai, and Higurashi before it are shows that eliminate the element of surprise about how the arcs go, though. That's not to say they're predictable; no, it's that you "know" it's not going to end well... it's just how that ending comes about that is shocking and/or heart rending. Just when I thought it was going to be a good ending, so many things that can go wrong do, and it ends in a sorrowful way again.

Unlike Higurashi part one, Kai is divided up into a mere 3 arcs, which allowed the plot to develop slowly, but with more (necessary) exposition. Again, it's a slow burn of a show: it twists and turns within the arcs, and when I thought I had everything figured out, it managed to turn everything on my head with revelations of who and why. Higurashi is predictably unpredictable- and that's the genius behind it.

It doesn't have to be a straight Whodunnit horror show involving cutesy school kids, even thought that could have been plenty entertaining on its own. No, Kai takes it to the next level with a cleverly crafted political conspiracy and treachery by those in positions of power over others. The mysteries of the first series are just the base bricks built into the steps of the pyramid of deception, betrayal, and conspiracy of Higurashi in sum total. These, which ultimately lead to a narrative of immense proportions, and heights of weighty answers that were previously inconceivable from the prior portions of the story.

A maze of irrational questions constructed elaborately by deft hands, that turn to a dark hallway with answers that are both revelatory and thought provoking- a real masterpiece.

Enjoyment: 10

One of the things I liked most about this show was the very first episode, which serves as a direct epilogue to Higurashi part one. One of the most edge-of-my-seat, intriguing, and addictive openings to a series I've seen, that served as an awesome introduction to the unveiling of the mysteries of Hinamizawa to come.

A note:
Due to the incident in 2007, where a 16 year old Kyotanabe girl murdered her father with an axe to the neck, some of the violence in the anime was censored, and certain parts edited out altogether (along with the cancellation of the last episode of School Days, airing the same time). With this event, there was a noticeable shift in the amount of extreme violence content vs the original series and manga. Not that the show is lacking such content altogether, but for a show that has built a reputation on brutality alongside Alfred Hitchcock style horror storytelling, it was strangely absent in some places.

As mentioned above; the story was unpredictable, and in the best possible way. The characters all have their parts to play, and with an expanded cast- all of them get a fair share of development and exposition, though it would have been easier to sideline them. They all remain relevant, and the tone of the series is also very consistent- I very nearly felt time ticking by in their universe as I anxiously watched the events of June 1983 unfold once again.

Overall: 10

As both a mystery and a psychological horror show, Kai succeeds with flying, dark colors. As an intense, relentless narrative and a tragic, but ultimately beautiful story, Higurashi Kai surpasses all expectations. It has the necessary elements for an Alfred Hitchcock or Rod Serling worthy masterpiece; the characters, the story, and the atmosphere to back it all up. It's all there.
All Higurashi needs is an audience.

tl;dr

+ Dark, twisting narrative
+ Great, compelling characters
+ Detestable villain that you can't help but sympathize with on some level.

+/- Lack of ultraviolence? (see above)

Recommend?

Ab-so-lute-ly. If you've not seen Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and are reading this for some strange reason, please, go watch the original- you owe it to yourself to see a show of this caliber, because there aren't many of them.

"My will will weave an absolute future. No one can hinder me or overthrow it: even fate is up to me to decide, with my unwavering, absolute will." -Miyo Takano