How to Watch “Higurashi: When They Cry” In Order

Higurashi: When They Cry (known as Higurashi no Naku Koro ni in Japanese; literally “When the Cicadas Cry”) is a horror, murder-mystery anime series that’s known for its complex story and gory, thriller-like scenes. While the original seasons are from the early 2000s, Higurashi got two new seasons in 2020 and 2021, so you may be wondering whether these are sequels or remakes, as well as how to watch all the extra Higurashi content. We chatted with an anime & manga expert to help us go over the best watch order for Higurashi and explaining what you can skip, where to watch, and if you need to read the visual novels the anime is based on.

What is the best way to watch Higurashi: When They Cry?

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Illustration showing the best watch order for Higurashi: When They Cry and which content can be skipped.

The best way to watch Higurashi is in release order: When They Cry (Season 1), Nekogoroshi (OVA), Kai (Season 2), Rei (OVA), Kira (OVA), Outbreak (OVA), Gou (Season 3), and Sotsu (Season 4). Gou and Sotsu are sequels, not remakes, so you must watch them after Season 1 and 2. The OVAs can be skipped, if you prefer.

Section 1 of 9:

Recommended Higurashi Watch Order

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Watch Higurashi in release order for the best experience. The best and only recommended way to watch Higurashi: When They Cry is in the order it was released, which makes watching this series super simple. There are 4 seasons of the anime, as well as 4 OVAs (Original Video Animation) that were released between the seasons. Here’s how to check out When They Cry:^{[1]
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- Higurashi: When They Cry — Season 1, Episodes 1-26 (2006)
- When They Cry: Nekogoroshi-hen [Cat Killing Chapter] — OVA, 1 Episode (2007)
- When They Cry: Kai — Season 2, Episodes 1-24 (2007)
- When They Cry: Kai Ura Higa [Specials] — Shorts, Episodes 1-24 (2007)
- When They Cry: Rei — OVA, Episodes 1-5 (2009)
- When They Cry: Kira — OVA, Episodes 1-4 (2011)
- When They Cry: Outbreak — OVA Film (2013)
- When They Cry: Gou [New] — Season 3, Episodes 1-24 (2020)
- When They Cry: Sotsu — Season 4, Episodes 1-15 (2021)
Meet the wikiHow Expert

Cedric Han—or cedgehog as he’s known online—is an anime and manga expert who’s been making anime-themed content on social media for the past four years.

Section 2 of 9:

Are Gou and Sotsu sequels or reboots?

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Gou and Sotsu are sequels to the first two seasons—they are not reboots. When Gou was first announced, it was teased as a remake of Higurashi. However, this was just a marketing tactic to trick the original fans, which worked because the beginning of Gou does cover similar events from the original series. However, the second episode of Gou diverts from the original story and makes it clear it’s a sequel; Sotsu acts as a direct sequel to Gou.^{[2]
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- So, it’s very important that you watch Higurashi: When They Cry (2006) and Kai (2007) before you watch Gou and Sotsu, as the story will not make sense if you watch Gou first!

Section 3 of 9:

Is there any Higurashi content you can skip?

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The OVAs are skippable, but they’re still fun watches if you like the anime. All of the Higurashi OVAs are optional watches, with most just acting as fan service, so they’re totally fine to skip if you’re only interested in the main plot of the anime. According to this Reddit post by u/ArcticFox19, episodes 1 and 5 of Rei are just fan service, while episodes 2-4 are worth watching.
- Here’s all the content you can skip: When They Cry: Nekogoroshi-hen, When They Cry: Kai Ura Higa (all episodes), When They Cry: Rei (all episodes, though eps 2-4 are recommended), When They Cry: Kira (all episodes), and When They Cry: Outbreak.
- Here’s the watch order with the skippable content removed: Higurashi: When They Cry, When They Cry: Kai, When They Cry: Gou, and When They Cry: Sotsu.

Section 4 of 9:

Is there a chronological watch order for Higurashi?

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While there are some complex timelines in Higurashi, the story plays out in the same order that the series was released. So, there’s no need to watch certain episodes from Kai before season 1 or anything like that—following the release order is the best (and only) way to watch Higurashi!

Section 5 of 9:

Where to Watch Higurashi

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You can buy Season 1 and 2, while Gou and Sotsu are streaming. Unfortunately, anime and manga expert Cedric Han says that the first two seasons of Higurashi are not available on any streaming service in the US, nor are any of the OVAs.^{[3]
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Expert Source

Cedric Han
Anime and Manga Expert

Expert Interview} You can buy episodes of season 1 and the Blu-Ray of Kai on Amazon Prime, though. Gou and Sotsu are both available to stream on Crunchyroll and Hulu/Disney+ (with a subscription).
- Only When They Cry: Rei is available to buy on Blu-Ray (or DVD) on Amazon. Unfortunately, the rest of the OVAs aren’t easy to find online.

Section 6 of 9:

What is Higurashi about?

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Higurashi is about mysterious murders and disappearances in a small town. Higurashi takes place in 1983, when Maebara Keiichi, a young teen, moves to the small town of Hinamizawa, Japan. He befriends a group of girls—Rena, Mion, Satoko, and Rika—and all seems well until the annual Watanagashi Festival approaches. The festival celebrates the town’s guardian deity, Oyashiro, but Keiichi learns that the town has a curse: over the past 4 years, someone has been murdered or gone missing on the day of the festival. Keiichi finds out that the murders and disappearances are linked to his friends, and becomes paranoid that he’s the one to die next.^{[4]
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- Of course, there’s much more to this anime than meets the eye, but we don’t want to spoil the story!
- While the anime style and characters certainly look cute, Higurashi is a horror and murder-mystery anime. There is a lot of violence and gore, and it features a rather tragic story.

Section 7 of 9:

Do you have to read the visual novels?

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No, but most fans recommend checking them out if you like the anime. Han says that the visual novel is “the definitive way to experience the series.”^{[5]
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Expert Source

Cedric Han
Anime and Manga Expert

Expert Interview} The anime is based on a series of visual novel video games created by Ryukishi07, where you read the story as it unfolds onscreen and collect “tips” to help solve the mystery. Sound is very important in the games, which makes reading them super atmospheric. The visual novels are divided into chapters, and the first half of the novels cover “question arcs” (where a self-contained story is presented) while the latter half of the novels cover “answer arcs” (where more context is given to the story to help you figure it out).^{[6]
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- Where to read/play the visual novels: All of the Higurashi: When They Cry visual novels are available on Steam. You can also find playthroughs for all the novels on YouTube.
- Order for reading/playing the visual novels:
  - When They Cry: Ch. 1 Onikakushi-hen (2002; Question Arc)
  - When They Cry: Ch. 2 Watanagashi-hen (2002; Question Arc)
  - When They Cry: Ch. 3 Tatarigoroshi-hen (2003; Question Arc)
  - When They Cry: Ch. 4 Himatsubushi-hen (2004; Question Arc)
  - When They Cry: Ch. 5 Meakashi-hen (2004; Answer Arc)
  - When They Cry: Ch. 6 Tsumihoroboshi-hen (2005; Answer Arc)
  - When They Cry: Ch. 7 Minagoroshi-hen (2005; Answer Arc)
  - When They Cry: Ch. 8 Matsuribayashi-hen (2006; Answer Arc)
  - When They Cry: Rei (2006; compilation containing Saikoroshi-hen, Batsukoishi-hen, and Hirukowashi-hen arcs)
  - When They Cry: Hou+ (2022; compilation containing Outbreak, Kamikashimashi-hen, Hinamizawa Bus Stop, and Mehagashi-hen arcs)
- Which visual novels are adapted into anime?
  - Season 1 of the anime adapts Onikakushi, Watanagashi, Tatarigoroshi, Himatsubushi, Meakashi, and Tsumihoroboshi.
  - Season 2 (Kai) adapts Minagoroshi and Matsuribayashi.
  - The Rei OVA adapts most of Rei.
  - The Kira OVA adapts some of Rei.
  - The Outbreak OVA Film adapts some of Hou+.
  - Gou, Sotsu, and Nekogoroshi-hen are not based on visual novels. So, it’s recommended that you watch Gou and Sotsu after reading Hou+.

Section 8 of 9:

Extra Higurashi Content

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Manga There is a manga adaptation of the Higurashi visual novels, which are great to check out if you want more of the franchise! The manga is separated into 13 arcs, which cover the main story. Plus, there are several more arcs that cover some side stories.^{[7]
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- All of the Higurashi manga volumes are available to buy on Amazon.
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Live-action films and TV show In 2008, Higurashi was adapted into a live-action film called Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, and received a sequel, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Chikai, in 2009.^{[8]
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Research source} The first movie is based on the first visual novel, Onikakushi, while the sequel is based on the answer arc visual novel, Tsumihoroboshi.^{[9]
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Research source} Later, in 2016, Higurashi was adapted into a 2-season, live-action TV show: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai.^{[10]
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- Most fans say the anime (and, of course, the visual novels) are better than the live-action movies and TV show, but they’re still fun to check out and see how the story is adapted in a different medium.
- The movies and TV show don’t appear to be streaming anywhere, but you may be able to find uploads on YouTube.

Section 9 of 9:

Should you watch Umineko: When They Cry?

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Most fans recommend reading the novel rather than watching the anime. Umineko: When They Cry is a separate anime series from Higurashi: When They Cry, though it has a similar theme and feel (as they’re both created by Ryukishi07/07th Expansion). So, you don’t have to watch it to understand Higurashi. Plus, most fans don’t really recommend watching it, anyway. The anime is based on a visual novel of the same name that is considered much better, so if you’re curious about Umineko, check that out instead of the anime!
- Umineko also only got 1 season, making it an incomplete story because it doesn’t adapt all of the visual novel.