Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Special: Nekogoroshi-hen

Okay this is my first review :)

Being a big fan of the Higurashi series I was excited to find out that a new adaptation of the story was being released. Needless to say i didn't have any hopes or expectations as most of the questions were answered (Watch Higurashi no Naku Koroni Kai to find out) other than wanting to see my favourite cast of characters set off onto a new adventure.

......also just in case
WARNING THIS SPECIAL MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS AND MAY/MAY NOT AFFECT INTERPRETATIONS OF THE MAIN SERIES

Story: 6/10
This special gives a sort of side story to the main series and contains some mystery ... behind it. Whilst there is no actual involvement of the main characters other than the shenanigans at the start of the show the story does suffice to bring the characters back in for another adventure.

Art: 9/10
Same style as Kai and 1st season but still beautiful.

Sound: 8/10
The opening and closing songs are the same as season 1, but to my knowledge I believe it uses some background music from the 1st season so they are nice on the ear.

Character: 10/10
No new development just the same wonderful cast :) ~ Ni pah!

Enjoyment: 8/10
To see the cast of Higurashi doing something new is the main reason why i wanted to watch it and i did enjoy watching it but i want more!

Overall: 8/10
If you’re a fan of the series you should definitely watch it and even if you are new to the franchise it can give you a taste of who the characters are and half of what their like. BUT, just in case, be warned that it MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS as it does contain flashbacks of the main series but which aren't that harmful BUT parts of the special could affect how you interpret the first series of Higurashi.

So watch it to find out why it is called the cat killing chapter :)

~Abyssal

I wasn't expecting a whole lot from this. In the series this OVA stems from, each episode has always served as a part to a greater arc. With this single episode, things are a lot more self contained - which is to be expected I guess.

You're not really missing much if you pass on this. It doesn't contribute to the greater story at all, and can basically be viewed as filler.

Mind you, none of this makes it a bad episode at all. It's just 'okay.' I'd only recommend checking it out if you're longing for more content of Higurashi or are otherwise here on your ... journey to 'get the full experience' of the franchise.

What a weird special.

The first five minutes consist of the usual Higurashi club shenanigans and after that it's just 15 minutes of the gang standing around and talking about an urban legend in a location that was never mentioned and it never will be mentioned again in the series. The characters literally don't do anything, they just talk about the legend. The story isn't even particularly interesting and, while there are some implications that very loosely tie it to the plot of Higurashi, it doesn't fit in, anyway.

The art, sound and other technical aspects are all on the level of Higurashi Kai, which is fine.

I ... wouldn't really recommend this to anyone other than the most hardcore Higurashi fans who have watched literally everything else and want to see the characters again. I'm one of those hardcore fans and I did get some enjoyment from seeing the squad again, but I really can't find anything actually interesting about this special. It's pretty much pointless.