How to Watch Higurashi Anime: A Guide to the Watch Order

Higurashi: When They Cry is an anime series that premiered in April 2006. The show had a second season and an OVA series, which ran until 2009. Luckily, a sequel was announced for October 2022, and the series continued for two more seasons.

Despite this, there has been confusion among fans of the franchise regarding the recommended watch order, as some are unsure if the 2020 adaptation is a remake or sequel. This article aims to clarify this concept by providing a breakdown of each season and a clear watch order.

The series is an adaptation of a visual novel created by 7th Expansion. Divided into eight manga series, each one follows a different arc from the visual novel. The original anime adaptation was produced by Studio Deen, while the most recent one was created by Studio Passione.

The Watch Order of Higurashi: When They Cry

Shion as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Deen)

To date, the anime series has aired 5 seasons, with Studio Deen adapting 3 seasons and Studio Passione adapting the last two. One notable episode, the Nekogoroshi-hen, plays a crucial role in connecting the first two seasons.

Despite not being based on the visual novel, the new adaptations, Gou and SOTSU, were created with the involvement of Ryukishi07 from 7th Expansion, the original creator of the visual novel, who directly contributed to the anime’s storyboard.

Rena as seen in the anime (Image via Passione)

Additionally, the old animations could only be skipped in order to view the new ones, despite the fact that the new ones are the sequel. This is due to the fact that the new adaptations feature new stories with the same cast, unrelated to the previous ones. Furthermore, the new adaptations also showcase different animation styles, appealing to those who do not enjoy older animation. Therefore, the new ones can also be considered remakes.

In chronological order, the recommended watch order for the series is as follows:

Higurashi: When They Cry – 2006 (26 episodes)
Higurashi: When They Cry Special: Nekogoroshi-hen – 2007 (1 episode)
Higurashi: When They Cry: Kai – 2007 (24 episodes)
Higurashi: When They Cry: Rei – 2009 (5 episodes)
Higurashi: When They Cry: Gou – 2020-2021 (24 episodes)
Higurashi: When They Cry: SOTSU – 2021 (15 episodes)

Higurashi: When They Cry Synopsis

The main cast as seen in the anime (Image via Studio Deen)

The male protagonist in this horror-mystery anime is Maebara Keiichi. In July 1983, he is forced to move to a small village in the mountains due to his father’s job transfer. The village is known as Hinamizawa.

Upon his transfer, the protagonist quickly forms a close bond with five girls who attend the same school as him. These five girls are none other than the Shinozaki sisters, Shion and Mion, the gentle Rika, the mischievous Satoko, and the responsible Rena. Together, they spend their days having fun and playing games.

Mion (left) and Keiichi (right) as seen in the anime (Image via Passione)

One day, Keiichi learns about the local deity of Hinamizawa village, Lord Oyashiro, and everything is turned upside down. Each year, there are numerous murders and disappearances that are connected to Lord Oyashiro. However, whenever Keiichi brings up the topic to his friends, an uncomfortable silence ensues.

As time passes, Keiichiro becomes increasingly fearful of his friends and increasingly reliant on Detective Kuraudo. However, with all of them behaving suspiciously, it becomes difficult to trust anyone. In this predicament, how will our protagonist manage to survive in the village of Hinamizawa?