Feb 5, 2019
I'm writing this as someone who is re-watching after experiencing the first three sound novels. I tried out the sound novels years after actually watching the anime, and I was surprised at how much I could forget even after watching the entire show.Now I think the reason I forgot all about what happened in the anime was because the anime lacked what made the sound novel so great and special.Because of this I have decided to stop at episode 12 where the third question arc ends so I can experience Higurashi at its peak potential. Watching the anime first will ruin it all.
At first, when
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I saw that this was 26 episodes I originally though that each of the 4 question arcs would get 6 episodes It turned that actually that this anime covers the 4 question arcs and the first 2 answer arcs. I think the reason they done this is because if they did what I was expected of them then the pacing would be much much slower. This is understandable but it really does hurt the show. It is harder to become invested into the characters,there is much less emotional impact when something happens, it has way less depth into the the thoughts and emotions of the character,and the atmosphere suffers greatly.
The SN,while people hesitate to call it a game,is really fun. In each arc you are encouraged to form your own theories and to reflect on the events that occur.The character art in it,specifically the ps2 sprites and the original,have much better expressions and actually did cause goosebumps while I was reading. The music and sounds as well adds a lot to the atmosphere that helps makes the reader feel paranoid and tense.
If you are looking for a story that challenges you and requires investment. Then avoid the anime and try the sound novels because your experience will be completely different depending on which one you chose. If you want to see cute girls act like psychos sometimes then go ahead and watch the anime.
It may seem unfair of me to compare the anime to the source material but this adaption has only a small percentage of what makes the sound novel so fantastic. Honestly something like this just shouldn't be adapted into an anime in the first place because no matter what it will end up a husk of its true potential.
Reviewer’s Rating: 5
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