List of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni episodes
Encyclopedia
When They Cry is a Japanese anime
series. The English
titles for the first season are according to the names used by Funimation Entertainment
. English titles in the other seasons are not official.
The first season, produced in 2006, was entitled . It was produced by the Japanese animation studio Studio Deen
and directed by Chiaki Kon
. It was released in English by Geneon
and then Funimation
, under the title When They Cry – Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. The series contains 26 episodes which aired between April 4 and September 26 on a number of Japanese television networks including Chiba TV
, Kansai TV, and Tokai TV. The story follows a group of five young friends and the strange events that occur in their village of Hinamizawa. A string of unexplained murders have plagued the town for the past three years during the annual Watanagashi Festival in June, and with the next Watanagashi approaching, things start to take a turn for the worse. The series is divided into six chapters which are based on the first six chapters in the original visual novel
series. The first chapter is Onikakushi-hen (episodes one to four), followed by Watanagashi-hen (episodes five to eight), and Tatarigoroshi-hen (episodes nine to thirteen). Next is Himatsubushi-hen (episodes fourteen and fifteen), the shortest of the story arc
s. The last two chapters are Meakashi-hen (episodes sixteen to twenty-one) and Tsumihoroboshi-hen (episodes twenty-two through twenty-six).
In 2007, the second season began and was entitled . It was produced by the same team as the first season and contains twenty-four episodes. The series aired in Japan between July 6 and December 17 on several Japanese television networks, such as Sun TV, TV Kanagawa, and TV Saitama. The story is similar to the first season, and what was left unexplained in the first season is explained over the course of three separate story arcs. The first story is an anime-original arc called Yakusamashi-hen, which is followed by the last two arcs from the original visual novel series: Minagoroshi-hen and Matsuribayashi-hen. On September 18, 2007, a sixteen-year-old girl killed her father with an axe in Kyoto
, Japan
. The similarities between Kai and the incident were too strong. In response, Tokai TV replaced episode twelve on September 21, 2007 with a cooking show.
In 2009, the third season, entitled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei, was released as an original video animation
series. It consists of two arcs taken from the fan disc
of the same name and another arc that was adapted from a light novel released with the PS2 game.
An extra episode, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gaiden Nekogoroshi-hen (The Cat Killing Chapter), which was not released in the US, can be viewed alongside season one.
Anime
is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....
series. The English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
titles for the first season are according to the names used by Funimation Entertainment
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
. English titles in the other seasons are not official.
The first season, produced in 2006, was entitled . It was produced by the Japanese animation studio Studio Deen
Studio DEEN
is a Japanese company that produces anime. Three years after Sunrise was founded in 1972, Studio Deen was established by Sunrise's members in 1975. As a result of this, anime shows such as Cowboy Bebop that were produced by Sunrise may have had assistance from Studio Deen.-Produced anime:* Urusei...
and directed by Chiaki Kon
Chiaki Kon
is a Japanese anime director who directed the anime adaptations of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, Umineko no Naku Koro ni, and Nodame Cantabile: Paris Chapter. She also worked the storyboard and dramatization for the anime Midori Days and did the Opening Animation for Shōnen Onmyōji.-External links:...
. It was released in English by Geneon
Geneon
is a Japanese music, anime and home entertainment production and distribution enterprise headquartered in Akasaka, Minato, Tokyo, Japan. Geneon has been involved in the production and distribution of several anime in Japan...
and then Funimation
Funimation Entertainment
Funimation is an American entertainment company. Originally founded in 1994 by Gen Fukunaga, the company became a subsidiary of Navarre Corporation on May 11, 2005...
, under the title When They Cry – Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. The series contains 26 episodes which aired between April 4 and September 26 on a number of Japanese television networks including Chiba TV
Chiba TV
, doing business as , is a Japanese commercial terrestrial television broadcasting company headquartered at 11-25 Miyako-chō 1-chōme, Chūō-ku, Chiba serving Chiba Prefecture but spill-over is received in the neibouring prefectures. It is a member of the Japanese Association of Independent...
, Kansai TV, and Tokai TV. The story follows a group of five young friends and the strange events that occur in their village of Hinamizawa. A string of unexplained murders have plagued the town for the past three years during the annual Watanagashi Festival in June, and with the next Watanagashi approaching, things start to take a turn for the worse. The series is divided into six chapters which are based on the first six chapters in the original visual novel
Visual novel
A is an interactive fiction game featuring mostly static graphics, usually with anime-style art, or occasionally live-action stills or video footage...
series. The first chapter is Onikakushi-hen (episodes one to four), followed by Watanagashi-hen (episodes five to eight), and Tatarigoroshi-hen (episodes nine to thirteen). Next is Himatsubushi-hen (episodes fourteen and fifteen), the shortest of the story arc
Story arc
A story arc is an extended or continuing storyline in episodic storytelling media such as television, comic books, comic strips, boardgames, video games, and in some cases, films. On a television program, for example, the story would unfold over many episodes. In television, the use of the story...
s. The last two chapters are Meakashi-hen (episodes sixteen to twenty-one) and Tsumihoroboshi-hen (episodes twenty-two through twenty-six).
In 2007, the second season began and was entitled . It was produced by the same team as the first season and contains twenty-four episodes. The series aired in Japan between July 6 and December 17 on several Japanese television networks, such as Sun TV, TV Kanagawa, and TV Saitama. The story is similar to the first season, and what was left unexplained in the first season is explained over the course of three separate story arcs. The first story is an anime-original arc called Yakusamashi-hen, which is followed by the last two arcs from the original visual novel series: Minagoroshi-hen and Matsuribayashi-hen. On September 18, 2007, a sixteen-year-old girl killed her father with an axe in Kyoto
Kyoto
is a city in the central part of the island of Honshū, Japan. It has a population close to 1.5 million. Formerly the imperial capital of Japan, it is now the capital of Kyoto Prefecture, as well as a major part of the Osaka-Kobe-Kyoto metropolitan area.-History:...
, Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
. The similarities between Kai and the incident were too strong. In response, Tokai TV replaced episode twelve on September 21, 2007 with a cooking show.
In 2009, the third season, entitled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei, was released as an original video animation
Original video animation
, abbreviated as media , are animated films and series made specially for release in home-video formats. The term originated in relation to Japanese animation...
series. It consists of two arcs taken from the fan disc
Fan disc
A fan disc is an expanded-content game disc, usually released by a game company after the game's first successful launch. The content adds new images, music, minigames, character information, demos, etc. It usually extends the game's time line by adding in a new shorter game; however, they are not...
of the same name and another arc that was adapted from a light novel released with the PS2 game.
An extra episode, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gaiden Nekogoroshi-hen (The Cat Killing Chapter), which was not released in the US, can be viewed alongside season one.
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (2006)
| # | Title | Original air date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (2007)
| # | Title | Original air date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei (2009)
| # | Title | Original air date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira (2011)
| # | Title | Original air date | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|