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View Poll Results: Higurashi Kai Total Series Rating
Perfect 10 121 39.54%
9 out of 10 : Excellent 104 33.99%
8 out of 10 : Very Good 55 17.97%
7 out of 10 : Good 14 4.58%
6 out of 10 : Average 5 1.63%
5 out of 10 : Below Average 1 0.33%
4 out of 10 : Poor 2 0.65%
3 out of 10 : Bad 1 0.33%
2 out of 10 : Very Bad 0 0%
1 out of 10 : Painful 3 0.98%
Voters: 306. You may not vote on this poll

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Old 2008-01-24, 21:29   Link #81
Klashikari
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terrestrial Dream View Post
Well I maybe be nip picking here, but first when those Rika were being taken away Akasaka came and how he beat all those guys so easily. I don't know that really felt weird, because Akasaka in the original didn't had that kind of strength but suddenly he beat like 10guys like nothing. Also this I think is kinda of nip picking also, after they got beat why didn't they just ran over Akasaka with a car or something. Then there are the traps around the last episode, which seemed to be something that can't be made in one day. Though I think this show was good, but last arc really ruined it for me.
You didn't check the episode thread i guess.
1. First Akasaka was quite the rookie at that period, and faced enemies he didn't expect to be that strong, especially that his objective was to retrieve and protect the kid. Hence, he didn't aim for the guys and got owned quite early.
Akasaka then got experience and training for 5 years.
(using the "original" is very misleading, as it refers the game. 1st season is arguably less faithful than Kai)
2. They ran away because Shion and Akasaka arrived, armed.
3. We already explained in the episode thread that the club members went on that area on purpose because that area was Satoko's childhood playfield, where she set tons of traps during the YEARS.
That's why Okonogi though they were doomed because the area was at their advantage, but they didn't know the forest was in fact the best place for the club members to retaliate

There isn't little to no plothole. granted, the execution is obviously discutable. But the script (as it should NOT be confused with execution) doesn't have any plothole (until someone want to argue again with hanyuu).
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Old 2008-01-25, 03:12   Link #82
Rayneing
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Terrestrial Dream View Post
Well I maybe be nip picking here, but first when those Rika were being taken away Akasaka came and how he beat all those guys so easily. I don't know that really felt weird, because Akasaka in the original didn't had that kind of strength but suddenly he beat like 10guys like nothing. Also this I think is kinda of nip picking also, after they got beat why didn't they just ran over Akasaka with a car or something. Then there are the traps around the last episode, which seemed to be something that can't be made in one day. Though I think this show was good, but last arc really ruined it for me.
For an Explanation of the Mountain Traps.
For an Explanation of Akasaka's Strength.

Akasaka had been training for years, and he had utterly dedicated himself to defending Rika. And we've all seen what having a strong will in the Higurashi universe can do, heh.

And those traps weren't made in one day, they took Satoko years. This is just stuff they didn't manage to fit into the anime, unfortunately.

EDIT: Oh, hang on. Someone already answered, heh.
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Old 2008-02-11, 03:58   Link #83
Kaeso
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Really liked the 2nd season it awnsered a lot of questions from the 1st, and set up some new ones as well (what did Shion whisper to Keiichi?) the story was amazing, and the voice acting was very good as well, the animation seemed a little lacking in places, and i loved how Rika was explained more. felt the part about Satoko could have been shortened a bit, even though it was important. defiantly an emotional show, just like the 1st season loved it and hope to see more =)
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Old 2008-02-11, 04:08   Link #84
Rayneing
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Er, you did watch the scene at the end of episode 22, right? You do know episodes 14-24 all have scenes after the credits, right? You can see what Shion whispered to Keiichi there.
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Old 2008-02-28, 18:09   Link #85
Rising Star
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The second series was cool, very cool! If there is gonna be a series 3 then I'm very excited.
It's been a wonderful series and I really am still begging for more
I'll give it a 9/10, losing a point because out of all the shows greatness there was a element which gave series 1 a 10/10 In my opinion and it was missing in series 2 and that is - there wasn't really any horror. Where the hell was it higurashi? =0
I mean compared to the first series, the first series was creepy!
The characters we're great- some better than other.
Even though she was the villian I had a soft spot for Tanako, from seeing her in child form and what she went through, it sure made me feel sorry for her in a way.
Rika, Rena, everyone was great!
And for the record Akasaka and Kasai can kick some ass! XD

I realised there was less gore in this series 2 too I'm not gonna say that was a negative thing though mind.
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Old 2008-03-11, 15:58   Link #86
LifeILL
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Okay, I am surprised to see that SO many people value season 1 much more than season 2.


I have never played the game, read the manga, or anything and I can still tell that they left out stuff in Season 1. In Season 1, it was rocky, inconsistent, choppy, and on the whole it looked like remains of a large meal you ate, although a very good meal.

What I'm saying is that Season 1, to me, did not flow well AT ALL. Yes, I loved the horror/craziness aspect of season 1 (who didn't?), but I thought this was the ONLY aspect that season 1 prevailed in. The light-hearted moments/ the filler moments/ the dialogue are nowhere on the same level as season 2. There were times when I just hated the comedy stuff, the characters playing games, wasting time, repeating the same events over and over again. It seemed really cliche and the good stuff didn't until madness sets in. It's like you have to go through all the muddled filler first to get to the really good stuff.

Also, I thought the presentations of the characters were a little off at times. Sometimes a certain character would go nuts while another time they will just remain calm and quiet. It just bugged the heck out of me. So Season 1 was just mostly mediocre.

Yes, I do realize that Higurashi has a really good story, really high creepiness factor, but I thought that they just weren't presented as well as it should have (especially the story part). So I would only give Season 1 a 5 or maybe 6 out of 10.

I realized that Higurashi was so much more than just horror/creepy stuff, but if the other parts aren't presented well, then what's the point really?






Season 2, however, was a completely different story. It seemed to have corrected every single mistake in Season 1, you feel that the characters are way more fleshed out, feels more human, acts more rational, more mature. And I love the shift in main character from K to Rika. And I love how they just threw K to the side (There were many times where I would forget that he even existed) and focused on other characters instead. It just felt more rich.

And the most important part was that the stortytelling (or at least the presentation) improved dramatically. Season 2's Higurashi has one of the best stories I have ever seen in any anime. They toned down a lot of the comedy (all the ecchi/moe stuff for some reason just felt IMPORTANT and necessary here, unlike in Season 1 where they were there for fanservice only it seems), the gore is also toned down, but the story felt more serious this time around, just more tragic and more to relate to. I just loved how consistent it was, every episode was just as good as the rest, even the "fillers", there was rarely a moment wasted in Season 2. They put in so much detail, little things, little moments that we never saw in Season 1. Everything just flowed so smoothly, the pacing was absolutely perfect from a normal situation into tragedy at the end.

To me, Season 2 was something completely on its own level, almost a completely different anime. It was near flawless. I'd give it 10/10.

I thought it was infinitely better than the first season.


The thing is, if Kai was still like the first season, where they were going crazy and killing each other with horror and suspense, then really what's the point? The characters, the story wouldn't evolve at all, it would just be the same things over and over again.

Last edited by LifeILL; 2008-03-11 at 16:11.
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Old 2008-03-19, 19:19   Link #87
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I've just recently watched through all of Higurashi Kai, and only a week or so ago finished the original Higurashi anime for that matter. That's why I'm making my very first post on the Higurashi board only now.

Before I begin, I should state that horror, in any entertainment medium (movies, video games, anime, etc...) is one genre that I've rarely had any appreciation for. Gore for gore's sake rarely appeals to me as well, which is why I couldn't get into Elfen Lied. So, that certainly will impact my take on both of these two seasons of Higurashi, and accounts for part of my disagreement with the board concensus on the two seasons.

I do like unsolved mysteries, and an anime that feels like a good detective novel in animated format (which is why I like Death Note). For that reason, and also since Higurashi does a great job of handling psychological thriller material, and slice-of-life episodes, I did enjoy Higurashi Season 1 a fair bit.

However, Higurashi Season 2... magnificent. Truly magnificent. I perfered it to the original season myself. Here's why...


Animation Quality: 8

I have no major qualms, but no major compliments either.


Voice Actors: 10

Very well-casted anime, with strong voice-work from top to bottom.


Script: 9

Addictive, with great flow, good twists and turns, and a masterful job of fleshing out all the key characters. In fact, I think that we might have had too much of a good thing with the fleshing out of all key characters. The storyline felt a bit too much decompressed, and I felt that Takano might have been focused on a bit too much. Personally, I didn't want her to be a sympathetic villain; I wanted to route hard against whichever person was causing so much incredible grief and misery for Rika, her friends, and her community. Takano came very close to being a sympathetic villain.

All in all, I think that the 2nd season could have been cut short by 4 episodes, and be slightly improved by it.


Editing: 9

The series was very good at conveying the emotions and tragedy of Rika's situation, as well as of the situations of all the people who impacted upon her and her life. I believe that skillful editing had a lot to do with that, as the flow from one scene to another was typically superb, and the choices for backgrounds and focuses were typically wise. My only complaint is that there were a few key scenes that could have perhaps been jazzed/sparkled up a bit to carry greater impact. Still, it's a very minor nitpick.


Emotional Involvement: 10

Few animes have succeeding in making me care about the main protagonists, and their ultimate fate, as much as this one did. Part of me was dreading the end of the 2nd last arc since I knew it wouldn't end well for Rika (though the "meeting of Hanyuu and souls", and Takano's great villain laugh scene took some of the sting away from me). And the supporting cast protagonists were simply sensational.

The final arc of Higurashi Kai was probably one of the most emotionally satisfying anime arcs I've ever watched. Anime, I find, has a tendency to have poor or weak endings, but Higurashi avoided that, imo. After over a season and a half of pain and tragedy for Rika, Keiichi, Rena, Mion, Shion, and Satoka, it was truly thrilling to see the inspirational comeback against the shadowy antagonists of this series.

There's a couple things in anime that I'm a bit of a sucker for - that I'll love everytime I see it.

One is a plotline that involves a charming and likeable protagonist go through loads and loads of seemingly hopeless situations and depression to rise up and truly earn a splendidly happy ending (this is why I like Buso Renkin a lot; Mai HiME's ending doesn't fit the bill here because it didn't feel earned to me). Kazuki was that protagonist in Buso Renkin, and Rika is that protagonist now.

The other thing is well-done GAR.

Keiichi had some good GAR moments during the middle sections, but the man who really stole the show was Akasaka.

Akasaka's surprise infiltration of the Yamainu, and saving Rika from them in her moment of greatest need, with a thorough beating of the Yamainu... one of the finest scenes I've ever seen in anime. I never imagined that Higurashi could ever produce such a wonderful "cool good trounces menacing evil" gar scene, and yet it was the perfect culmination of Akasaka's character development up until that point, and Rika's often showed adoration of him. In any anime, a scene like this is sheer ecstasy to watch, but in an anime like Higurashi... truly awesome.

All in all, I give Higurashi Kai a 9.5/10 (Akasaka makes me round up )
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Old 2008-03-25, 09:23   Link #88
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First post

I haven't play the games or whatsoever, so I dunno about all the spoilers.

In my opinion, the second season is a fresh change from the more dark and gory first season... I think it is more acceptable and refreshing because of that, and eventhough the last episodes are a bit cheesy, it goes well because I have been drowning in blood in the first season :P lol...

Anyway, 9/10 from me, should be perfect 10 but the animation quality takes the one GJ nevertheless, an enjoyable anime (along with the prequel)
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Old 2008-03-26, 01:01   Link #89
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I do think that the story presentation of the second season was generally much stronger and cohesive than the first season, which was more horror/gore oriented, but not as tightly focused plotwise.
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Old 2008-04-08, 11:06   Link #90
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Well.I had seen the first season about two years ago and i wonder would they make a second season.But when i chek on the net last Year, It really seen my wish had came true.It was out.


1st season -
my friend recommanded me to watch this anime,but he only gave me 10 epi and i was surprise with the storyline .Man!It was gore and a lot of horror thing appear .I was shock and unable to sleep for the first night when i had seen the anime. I was so frightened taht someone would open my door and do me the stuff like the anime.
For season 1 , i give it 9.5/10 for quality,voice.9/10 for story. coz it have too many mysterious left behind without being solve and just call it a end with K1 chan had succesfully break the "oyashiro sama's curse"



2nd Season -
I'm happy to see Rika and the guys can break the fate and create miracle.But was upset in the first story coz they were just one more step to go .However, it was all sove in epi 26.But i still don't understand what happen in the end of 26.The girl wh look like Rika but is an adult(the one with the same cloth and haircut) appear in front of Takano Miyoko .What she say had what bussiness with Takano's parent accident , and was Takano's parent saved from the accident.It just shown that in the end Miyo pust the twenty flag into his nori and a woman who would sound like her mother call her to go to sleep.What happen.Someone please tell me.

I was completely imerse in this anime when i watch it.I coul felt that my whole body shaking when i watch it.I give 10/10 for everything.Hopefully the 3rd season would be as interesting as the 1st and 2nd season.

Oh!and the live action.Hope it won't ruin the good image of the Higurashi's character in my mind.And i do hope that they also have some bloody scene inside the movie.
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Old 2008-04-08, 23:54   Link #91
Dreamiel
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SharmistA View Post
First post

I haven't play the games or whatsoever, so I dunno about all the spoilers.

In my opinion, the second season is a fresh change from the more dark and gory first season... I think it is more acceptable and refreshing because of that, and eventhough the last episodes are a bit cheesy, it goes well because I have been drowning in blood in the first season :P lol...

Anyway, 9/10 from me, should be perfect 10 but the animation quality takes the one GJ nevertheless, an enjoyable anime (along with the prequel)
It was cheesy because the anime was deprived of the drama of Miotsukushi-Hen, and got stuck with Matsuribayashi's ending. I didn't like how they ended season 2, and we can only hope that season 3 will be: Saikoroshi- ?- Onisarashi- ?-Miotsukushi.
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Old 2008-04-18, 05:01   Link #92
oompa loompa
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when i first heard of higurashi, i did a bit of research, general summaries and peoples ratings. the show seemed to have tremendous appeal, and seemed like something so completely different. however, (i couldnt actually get down to watching the show because i suffer from severe anime addiction once i get into a show, and i had my finals going on at that time) when i heard that the second season had nothing of the gore or horror of the first season, i really began to wonder whether it would be worth it. i mean, wasnt the whole appeal of higurashi the gore and the shock? the first season satisfied all my expectations, particularly the first four episodes, i was ready for it, but it hit me like a hammer. the ending was cheesy, but the last scene was wonderful.
On to Kai. i thought my worst fears would come true and i would be extremely dissapointed.

now, after watching the whole of the second season, i can confidently say that higurashi is one of the best animes i have ever watched. the second season if anything, surpassed the first. the message that fate can be crushed was put out very strongly, especially in the last scene of the credits, while it might have seemed insignificant, rikas time travel (? this is what im assuming it to be, to change takanos past) just shows this exactly

as much as i hate to admit , it was one of the few shows that really really had me choking up, despite the severe lack of romance, and the fact that it was a happy ending. everything came together beautifully.

Adding to my appreciation of the show is the mystery itself ( how could i have forgotten that? ) the mystery itself was brilliant, how all the loose ends are tied up in such a logical manner, and most importantly the fact that most of the events determined by 'fate' were not supernatural, but rather by human device.

The only thing lacking is animation quality in a few places. All in all a wonderful wonderful show, im not sure what theyll put in the 3rd season, but bring it on.

9.5/10 , its been my privilige to watch this show

EDIT:

and as a question, for more experienced higurashi-ites does higurashi have rewatch value? i thought it was incredible, but since it is a mystery and all... anyone have any experience with this?

Last edited by oompa loompa; 2008-04-18 at 05:51.
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Old 2008-04-18, 08:21   Link #93
Klashikari
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Quote:
Originally Posted by oompa loompa View Post
and as a question, for more experienced higurashi-ites does higurashi have rewatch value? i thought it was incredible, but since it is a mystery and all... anyone have any experience with this?
If you change your "expectation" on the rewatch, it worth it actually.

Sicne you know everything, when rewatching, you will get a specific and comfortable position to understand completely the situations and feel empathic etc to certains scenes which were kinda "meh" without prior knowledge (such like Rena's desperate attempts to reason keiichi in onikakushi, which weren't quite possible to get before Tsumihoroboshi).
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Old 2008-04-18, 12:11   Link #94
Eryops
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Originally Posted by Klashikari View Post
If you change your "expectation" on the rewatch, it worth it actually.

Sicne you know everything, when rewatching, you will get a specific and comfortable position to understand completely the situations and feel empathic etc to certains scenes which were kinda "meh" without prior knowledge (such like Rena's desperate attempts to reason keiichi in onikakushi, which weren't quite possible to get before Tsumihoroboshi).
It's also interesting to catch or realize the significance of things that you had missed the first time you watched it. You can see for example Okonogi driving one of the Yamainu's vans and visiting the school in Tsumihoboroshi-hen. In the first watching one wouldn't have realized he was more than a background character.
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Old 2008-04-19, 07:14   Link #95
Bou
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Have just finishd this series, a very well done series.

Much better than 1st season in quality but I only give it a 9/10 because of the boring Takano's past part, I thought it was a little boring.
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Old 2008-04-22, 23:36   Link #96
Nemu
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Animation Quality: 8
Voice Actors: 10
Script: 9
Editing: 10
Emotional Involvement: 10

Spoiler for what I thought about Kai:
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Old 2008-05-14, 05:34   Link #97
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Quote:
I liked Kai, although I like the first season better
exact same thoughts i gave this series a 7 althought it may deserve better, i wont be leaving specific ratings since i have no experience on the in-depth matters, my opinion on season 1 is alot better then season 2 due to the fact that there was uncertainty and suprising plots in season 1, however season 2 pulls it most of it together nicely.
Spoiler for what wasnt pulled together:

i thought season was needed but didnt 'shine' as much as season 1 did due to the fact that it was to reveal the 'answers' which pretty much answered in season 1 except for the end of the never-ending loop, other then that, the memories of the deeds done by the main characters was already shown in season 1, however it may be a overly bias opinion since i had suspiousion of Takano from the very once arc the way she talks just aint right and it ended been cleared up
it was obivious that the character's once attempt would end in vein also (hence preditable) just disliked how each of them was hunted down.
In the last arc, i really didnt understand why Shion was left out till the day of the festival and why they brought Shion in the arc before hand (since she never attended the same school) the sudden inclusion of Shion from a side-factor role (wasnt part of the club) then suddenly droping her again.
The series ended (so-far) with a happy ending but truth be told that however it ended it would be satisfying since it is Higurashi (thumbs up)

Going off-topic a little:
Spoiler for offtopic:
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Old 2008-05-14, 05:45   Link #98
Klashikari
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1) As for shion, Love at first sight exists. Also, please bear in mind the anime simplified a lot how long Shion could be with Satoshi.

2) Even when Shion doesn't transfer, depending of the "settings" of the world, she can pass by some times here and there.

offtopic questions:
1) She has been murdered, but the time period happens just before that.
2) Keiichi had an hallucation
3) Because Keiichi wasn't at the village when the Yamainu triggered the disaster plan. Anyway, Keiichi still died, several months after the tragedy, after turning completely nuts.
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Old 2008-05-14, 05:52   Link #99
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Klashikari View Post
1) As for shion, Love at first sight exists. Also, please bear in mind the anime simplified a lot how long Shion could be with Satoshi.

2) Even when Shion doesn't transfer, depending of the "settings" of the world, she can pass by some times here and there.

offtopic questions:
1) She has been murdered, but the time period happens just before that.
2) Keiichi had an hallucation
3) Because Keiichi wasn't at the village when the Yamainu triggered the disaster plan. Anyway, Keiichi still died, several months after the tragedy, after turning completely nuts.
well i feel some what defeated haha
Klashikari you really left me speechless for a little, well they were all along the lines of my own theories but was hoping i was wrong to be honest
ps nice sig
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Old 2008-05-14, 06:34   Link #100
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Originally Posted by Taricitous View Post
Keiichi was the ONLY Surivior yes? how? he was infected with the disease/parasite, wasnt answered
Everyone that visits Hinamizawa gets infected by the pathogen. However it remains quiescent unless its host becomes highly stressed or paranoid.
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