Review of Higurashi: When They Cry – Kai

~ You cannot oppose fate, no matter how much you deny it . . . ~ As a continuation to the particularly "open" ending of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai - or "Kai" as i will refer to it from now on to save time, was everything, and more than i was expecting. At a glance, i would definitely describe it as a thrilling journey. It's one that puts all of the confusion that may have followed you from the first season at bay. The addition of Kai has for me, as i expect for many, made the whole storyfeel infinitely more wholesome, well-rounded, and immersive.
Kai is nothing less than a masterpiece in my opinion, and here's why...

Whereas in the first season, i think its safe to say that Higurashi's reputably abstract methods of spontaneous timeline-shifting storytelling, and the way in which the show seemed to skip like a broken record between each arc, acted somewhat as a limiting factor enveloping the relatability to, and the audience's attachment to the cast. After watching the first season alone, i didn't realize this as much, but by comparison, Kai is nothing less than revolution for the franchise. It dispels the comparatively shallow (not sufficiently elaborated upon) story aspects of the first season, removes the show's distancing in the name of prolonged character attachment - understandably caused by its overly unpredictable nature, defies the show's reputation as nothing other than "creepy", and adds to the presentation: a greatly more personal and dramatic feeling and depth - that will blow your mind.

For those curious, Kai most certainly retains its "Higurashi charm"...
The story's perspectives change frequently, and occasionally so do its "timelines" as i refer to them. This is one of the franchise's signature approaches. It's a sudden and disorienting one, but Kai makes this work especially well - giving the viewer a comprehensive and intimate understanding of the plot; while not drowning out the more delicate aspect of character depth - which ultimately leads me to believe that Kai's balance of storytelling and character attachment, is unrivaled.

Kai is a REALLY dramatic season of 24 episodes. By comparison to the first season, it's much harder hitting and meaningful (though i distinctly remember episode 1 being rather dull). Despite my psychotic appreciation for the torture and violence aspects of the first season, whereas Kai still obviously incorporates it's insane levels of unpredictability, psychotic and often violent instability of some characters... The way in which the show conveys drama, matures significantly, sometimes even making use of dramatic irony to make Kai a genuinely engaging, almost manipulative experience. This without a doubt will keep you on the edge. It works to maintain suspense, tension and emotional friction where appropriate, while allowing you to be overwhelmed more so by the story, the actual scale and reality of what you thought was going on, as opposed to just the immediate scope, or relying solely on "freaking out" the viewers. This justifies my reasoning for Kai being a much deeper pool of entangled, conflicting and genuinely engaging hardship - precisely the way a dramatic story should be presented.

I would go as far as saying that Kai escalates far beyond what any "Pre-Kai" audience could predict. It takes drama to a whole new level (something i can't stress enough), and utilizes its time/perspective-shifting style to its fullest effect. It rapidly becomes an unforgettable, all-out WAR - a story of conflicting ideals, betrayal, and unity. With the addition of Kai's flashbacks to further the audience's understanding of the whole premise, Kai, to me,
appears as a masterpiece.
In many ways, it has been the solution the Higurashi franchise,
and alike the first season, it will ALWAYS take you off-guard...

The audiovisuals for anyone wanting to know, are on par with the first season's distinct, high standards, and so, although i liked the original full version OP more than this one's full version OP, there's really nothing to loose. An epiphany of understanding and appreciation for the Higurashi franchise awaits you, they did indeed, save the BEST for season 2...
You would be a FOOL not to watch on.

~ I must repeat. Until fate is broken . . . ~