I was afraid to read in night, but I tried to because I wanted to know the next story… This is my memory about “Higurashi no naku koro ni (Higurashi When they Cry)”
In the beginning, it was one of the fan games sold at comic market, but later, the first disc was published for free as sample version. Various people were trapped by the world and the mystery of the game, more and more people wanted to know the next story, and along with the catchy copy “1% possibility to answer right”, it became popular exponentially.
As a fan art, 100 000 discs were sold exceptionally, and it was developed to various medias like drama CD, manga, animation or live-action film.
The story takes place at a small village in the mountains, Hinamizawa. In the past, there was a conflict among residents about the construction of a dam. And at the summer festival of June “Watanagashi Festival”, one person dies and one person disappears strangely. The residents fear it is because of Oyashiro’s curse.
The 5th year since the first incident happened, in 1983, Maebara Keiichi moves to Hinamizawa village. Forward-looking Keiichi gets well at the new school, but the incident happens at the “Watanagashi” day, and the environment around him changes into a terrifying world…
This story is composed of “question part” 4 chapters, where the incident happens and gives a mystery to the readers, and “answer part” 4 chapters, where readers can find how to avoid the tragedy.
As there are no choice commands in the story, it should be a novel rather than a game. Maybe because it happens in Showa era, there is a unique atmosphere of an old Japanese villages’ closed atmosphere and the doubts among personalities. At first, the episodes are in a high mood and I was reading thinking “Tragedy? Where is the tragedy?”, but it changes dramatically from the middle. Somewhere chilly, bizarre incidents happen continuously in a strange atmosphere…… After reading the question part, you will feel bad in a good manner.
As you felt bad in the first part, you will feel much better when you “got it!” at the answer part! At that time, I was waiting impatiently for the next stories, but nowadays you can read to the last all at once, so please feel the story.
The original version doesn’t have voices, and the famous parole “You’re lying!!” is only written, but I remember I shivered in midnight even nowadays.
My favorite personality is Furude Rika-chama, a psychic with long hair (called Rika-chama). At first I thought she was only a little cute personality, but as the story goes on, you will see who she is. Her existence and role were necessary to solve the question.
I didn’t imagine the relation with Akasaka in “time-killing part” will be developed so hot in “the calling of the festival part”… At the scene of Akasaka’s “how much is the salary?”, he does his job as much as he can as he couldn’t save Rika, and I was reading thinking it worth of to read until here. The relation between Hanyuu was interesting too. Rika-chama is cool with Hanyuu, and there is a gap between her usual character, and this is her attractive point, too.
It is interesting for have been a wave, so if you are not too afraid of horror, please start from the sample version at PC. You will not notice the morning has come… maybe.
