While this work has become famous through its anime and manga, it was originally a computer game by the doujin circle "07th Expansion." It's a sound novel, directed and written by Ryukishi07. The game, manga, and anime are all divided into a question section and an answer section, and are structured so that you can't fully grasp the work unless you play and read both. The official title is "Higurashi When They Cry," with the "na" in red, and the "C" in the English title "When They Cry" is also in red. The story is brutal and thrilling, something you'd never imagine from the cute characters, and it's also an excellent horror work. In this article, we'll introduce some of the scariest scenes. So let's get started!
The cute and gentle Rena suddenly changes?!
In the "Onikakushi-hen" arc, Rena Ryuuguu tells the protagonist, Keiichi Maebara, "That's a lie!!"
Keiichi is asked by Detective Oishi for help and begins working to solve the case, but one day Rena asks him if he's hiding something. When he replies that he's not,
Rena suddenly changes and declares, "That's a lie!!" This scene shocked viewers, as Rena's expression, which had previously been calm and cute, suddenly changes. The line, "That's a lie!!," has become synonymous with "Higurashi When They Cry." Rena's sudden transformation is also known as "Oyashiro Mode," and it appears in various scenes from this scene onward.
This is definitely traumatic! Inside the rice ball...
In the "Onikakushi-hen" arc, Rena and Mion give Keiichi rice balls.
Inside the rice ball Keiichi ate was a sewing needle! Imagine taking a big bite and finding a needle inside...
In reality, there was no needle inside; it was Tabasco sauce. However, Keiichi, wary of Rena and Mion, mistook the sting of the Tabasco sauce for a needle.
This delusion was triggered by a scene from a manga he read a long time ago in which Keiichi accidentally put a needle in his food.
Mion had only put Tabasco sauce in it as a prank, but Keiichi, already suspicious, became increasingly fearful and anxious.
Rena Won't Leave Even After Getting Her Hand Trapped
In the "Onikakushi-hen" arc, Rena visits Keiichi's home.
Keiichi, completely paranoid after the ohagi incident, becomes neurotic. In this state, Keiichi's parents leave the house, leaving him alone, when Rena shows up.
Keiichi plays dumb, but she guesses that they're having ramen for dinner. Keiichi tells himself that it's normal for him to guess by chance since he's a man living alone, but as soon as he hears the words "pork bone ginger flavor," fear suddenly surges over him. Terrified by Rena peering through the door, Keiichi slams it shut, but her finger gets caught. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry..." Rena apologizes profusely, but Keiichi, who is not in his right mind, still slams the door shut, and Rena's finger slips out. He thinks she's gone home by now, but Rena continues to apologize endlessly, even outside. If something like this happened while living alone, it would drive you crazy... (sweat)
The Bloody Ghost of Mion
The final scene of the "Watanagashi-hen" arc.
Mion appears before the dazed Keiichi and stabs him to death with a nail.
Mion is already at the bottom of the well, and Shion has jumped to her death from the apartment building. The actual cause of death was acute heart failure, and neither Mion nor Shion were involved.
As his friends and acquaintances began to die one after another, Keiichi's symptoms worsened due to the emotional shock. Terrified by Detective Oishi's words, "The bodies are moving too much," Keiichi ended up seeing Mion's ghost.
Memorable Torture Scene
This is the scene in "Meakashi-hen" where Shion tortures Satoko.
Shion, who is deeply in love with Satoshi, dislikes Satoko, who is always causing him trouble.
One day at school, he invites Satoshi to eat lunch with him, but he coldly rejects him, saying, "Leave me alone during lunch break." Seeing Satoko crying beside him, "Nii-nii, Nii-nii," his feelings for Satoko explode.
He ties Satoko up in the basement and stabs her to death with a knife in front of Mion. No matter how much she cries and screams, it doesn't reach Shion, who has lost her mind. Satoko, who could only cry and say "Nii-nii," shows some guts as she dies, resists Shion, and becomes stronger. The final scene is touching, but the depiction is quite shocking, so it comes across more as gory than moving. Apparently, this scene caused a big stir overseas as well.
Still, it's just too gruesome for a middle school student to torture an elementary school student like this.
The true protagonist, killed in June 1983 in every world.
Rika Furude's death scene in the "Massacre Arc."
Just when Rika was close to changing her fate, she suffers a major plot twist, and Takano slits her stomach and sacrifices her.
Furude Rika, who can be considered the true protagonist of "Higurashi When They Cry," is destined to suffer this fate in every episode except the final one.
Having experienced this death so many times, it's understandable why Rika rejects Takano, even though she has no memory of it.
Scariest than a bad horror movie?! Summary of Recommended Horror Scenes
What did you think?
Higurashi When They Cry is often associated with horror, but it also contains many moving and laid-back scenes of everyday life.
The question section seems to have a stronger horror element, while the answer section has a stronger suspense element. Since the story involves solving a case in a parallel world, many parts are difficult to understand with just one viewing, which is perhaps one of its charms. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend checking out the anime and manga. A new anime is scheduled to air in July 2020, so that's definitely something to look forward to!
