Higurashi no Naku Koro ni: Tatarigoroshi-hen
Higurashi WHEN THEY CRY: Curse Killing Arc

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There comes a time when expectation are put down heavily. This arc of Higurashi being a heavy case as I originally had not cared for it much in the anime, have now loved it more than the first arc adaption of how well the pieces, and bonuses fit together.

Story - For the anime fans who have already seen this: There is actual more material that is covered that the company DEEN left out that would perk your ears.

To the manga fans: If you like the first arc storyline adaption then you'll love this even more of how well is just clusterf**ks you in the ... end of it all. However if you like the second arc adaption you might be in for a little easy realization here or there.

Art - This is another part that heavily shut me up. The first volume has very shoddy art at times, and often looks like there was another character model set up for Rena late in the first volume. Is it any better than the previous arcs artwork?

Somewhat I really felt that the real course of the artist for this arc bloomed in the second volume. (Mind you that it was 300 pages of translation, NOT including the bonus chapter) that really kicks in once Keiichi comes to take action that the traditional "Creepy eye" scenes start to kick in that really make you want to shat your pants, and run t how well the the artwork turns around for each character have their own significant trait of "Creepy eyes" from switching from cutsesy mode to just I want to rip your brains out mode in a literal snap that no other arc artwork captured so well.

Character - Did I mention Teppei needs to get shot, horse stretched, and hung? Okay, but really the heavy central plot character here are Keiichi, Satoko, and Ooishi who makes his mark as a new character this time around, and fans might notice another surprise when Keiichi speaks to "Another" character as well. The characters don't fall into a cliche, nor are they to niche.They pass,and succeed at being creepy little demonspawn.

Enjoyment - I'll admit I bought the second volume yesterday only on a whim after I was dissapointed with the first volume of this arc. I was heavily proven wrong, not only by the damn size of the book (325 pages all in one volume), but also how well the manga version was adapted compared to the anime that at the first difference between caught my eye to it's end.


Overall - Originally the first arc being my favorite for a very long time now, i've recently found this to be the most significantly adapation to hone itself anew to scare me half to death of me wanting to shat myself at my Barnes and Nobles, to me hauntingly enjoying it that made me like it so much in the end of it all.

Whether you find yourself wanting to keep the light on after reading it, or just tossing it aside as one you don't want: This arc is a definite try to say the least. Not only for the anime fans to get a new piece of meat to chew with new scenes not in the anime, but also for new fans for the series to scare themselves, and enjoy.

Higurashi is one of my favorite anime series, but that doesn't mean I love all of it, and Tatarigoroshi-hen is probably the arc I disliked most while watching the anime. One of the reasons for this may have been that it focuses on Satoko, who I find annoying, but... Que sera sera. I still say that from what I've read and watched, it's my least favorite, but the manga adaptation of this definetely made me hate it less.

The story of this arc is a simple one on the surface, but it gets more complicated as it progresses. Out of the question arcs the series has, ... it seems to give away the biggest hints about what exactly is going on in Hinamizawa. I advise anyone reading it to pay close attention to what's happening. However, it also offers up a lot of questions which, even after having finished both the anime and reading most of the answer arcs, I still can't say exactly what was going on a fair amount of the time here. Considering I was actively trying to piece together what was going on all the while during the time I was reading this, that's not a very good thing.

Also, as stated before, Tatarigoroshi-hen focuses more on Satako than any other arc in the series. I personally find her to be very annoying most of the time and, from what I understand, so does a lot of people. This arc does manage to give her character some sympathy, but she's still annoying, near the end especially.

I think the best part of this arc was actually the final chapter, the events of with I don''t believe were in the anime. It gives some interesting insight into the mentallity of the character it focuses on and is done very well.

Art is probably this arcs main fault. From what I've seen, it has the worst art. Considering this also is the least popular arc, I really have to wonder why they did this instead of giving it the BEST art so people would be more willing to buy it. It's tolerable for the part and even good at times, but the characters go off model at times and it just doesn't work.

Characterization is roughly the same as with the other arcs with the only big difference being more insight into Satoko's character. Overall, it's good but somewhat underdeveloped.

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed reading this arc. It starts off a bit slow, but once the shit hits the fan, it gets good quite fast. Of course, anyone who likes the series should read this and they may even find something to like in it that they didn't in the anime like I did.

Overall, I give this cruel twist of fate a 7 out of 10.

And now, my review of the third Higurashi arc. Please note that this is the last arc I have read; I currently know nothing about Higurashi beyond this point.

Story:

It's summer of 1983 . . . and this is also starting just like the other arcs, almost as if they were all separate canons almost . . . well, Keiichi and his family move in, he gets along with some girls, they have wacky hijinx, but then he learns about Oyashiro-sama's Curse. Not only that, he learns that Satoko, one of his friends, lives under the thumb of an abusive uncle, and yet, she doesn't do ... anything to better her situation.

At first, the story is rather slow. Fortunately, the attempts at humor are better than in the first arc, (you'll laugh during the baseball game) but things don't start getting interesting until Keiichi becomes obsessed with helping Satoko. It does raise some interesting issues; at what point does helping out someone go from simple compassion to violent crusade? Not only that, the ending is a shocking ending. Again, many mysteries abound, but the story still intrigues me. 8/10.

Art:

Oh man. Why do they have different artists for these? This particular artist in unworthy. The characters, especially in the first half, are lacking in detail, the backgrounds look rushed, and, well, I would expect more from a professional publication. I've seen Touhou doujins that look better than this. By the second half, the art does improve, especially during the more shocking scenes, but it's too little, too late, and it never compares to the first two arcs art-wise. 5/10.

Characterization:

In spite of the unanswered questions, the characters are still quite the cast. Keiichi is even more paranoid here; you could even argue that he becomes a villain, and I wouldn't dispute it. Satoko appears to be a helpless little girl, but there is information that contradicts that, too. That would be the best word to describe these characters, contradictory. Another example, Ooishi appeared to be trustworthy in the first two arcs, but here, Keiichi doesn't trust him, and with good reason. We also learn more about Satoko's older brother, Satoshi, who was mentioned in the previous arcs. More and more about the characters is revealed. 9/10.

Enjoyment:

When this arc started, the mediocre art turned me off somewhat. I only slogged through that because I knew that it would eventually turn into a gripping horror tale. Luckily, my prediction came true. This arc was more straightforward than the second one, and I just can't get the ending out of my head. However, it only starts getting really good once Keiichi decides to do something about Satoko's situation; once you get there, you won't be able to stop. Disturbing thoughts and imagery are plentiful throughout the second half, yet somehow, instead of turning me away, I welcome it. Like I said before, if you don't mind seeing a horror story done right, well, you can't go wrong with Higurashi. 8/10.

This is my review for Higurashi no naku koro ni; Curse Killined Arc.
Pros:
Still as bloody as the other ones.
Very in depth, i prefer this one over the animated arc
It adds a new part of the curse into the story and i love that

Cons:
Takes a while to pick up (The entire first part of the arc is mostly talking and building up to the amazing second arc)
Something i didn't expect happened, but it wasn't given an explanation to it. (hopefully higurashi no naku koro ni kai will clear that part up).

... Overall:
I really liked it and this is one of the first mangas that i have gotten and im glad it was this arc, i prefer this one over the anime beacuse i feel like it is paced better. But still love this series, looking forward to getting the next one in the series.

By far the best question arc. Not only does it serve the best questions, it also has the best story. The story had no boring points whatsoever, the slice of life was not dragged on, and was actually important to the story. Seeing Keiichi slowly going insane as more and more contradictions build up, while seeing Satoko in more pain each second, truly showed us how depressing Higurashi can be. Characters were great as well. I loved that Satoko got the spotlight for once, and i loved keiichis realism in this arc.

Overall, a very good experience for a Higurashi question arc. Most definitely recommended ... if you want one hell of a mystery manga. 4.5/5, 9/10

At this point in Higurashi, Keiichi is really starting to piss me off as the main character, Keiichi being paranoid for almost six volumes gets old, and he really goes insane in this arc.
I really liked how Satoko finally got an arc to herself, she is probably the least focused on main Higurashi character in the series.
This arc focuses on a real issue in life, and that is child abuse, everyone wants to save Satoko and there was a point when Keiichi was argueing with Mion and it was like, DUDE YOU CAN'T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT, GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS! ...
This was a good arc none the less, it provides more mystery to the secrets of Hinamizawa at the end. But i have to say, I'm glad that this is the last arc where Keiichi is the narrator.

Disappointing -- the best word to describe Tatarigoroshi-hen...

Overall, it's a 6 for me...

I was not into this 3rd Higurashi installment... I was anxious about how it will end, yes... I was thinking that maybe it would have a great twist and an unforgettable ending like the first 2 but sadly I was mistaken...

Story started off well enough, it was fast and had a different flow to it... but then I found it to be boring since it became too dramatic... I mean, good that the story now focused on Satoko and Keichi but it was too melodramatic for me... predictable even... Maybe I was ... watching way too many horror movies that they all seem the same to me...

I found myself flipping through the pages faster than what I did with the first 2... but not because of the gripping story but because I wanted to reach the end... and it was a relief to have reached the end since now I can move on to another...

Recommended for people who wants a manga with a "Twilight Zone" feel to it and like some of the episodes in the TZ, it just doesn't cut it... :S