New “Higurashi: When They Cry” Anime Project Announced, Original Cast Set to Return

It was announced earlier this month that early 2000s mystery horror anime series Higurashi: When They Cry is set to return with a new anime project. While the anime project is yet to be specified—will it be a single-episode OVA or a full series—what’s certain is that the project is set to bring back the 2006 series’ original cast! Soichiro Hoshi will be reprising his role as main protagonist Keiichi Maebara, while Mai Nakahara is set to return as Rena Ryugu.

Previous announcements also stated that the new anime project will be animated by Passione (High School DxD Hero, Citrus), with character designs to be done by Akio Watanabe (Monogatari series, The World God Only Knows). The new anime project will be produced by Infinite.

Higurashi: When They Cry is a murder mystery doujin visual novel series developed by 07^th Expansion and written by Ryukishi07. The first game in the series was released in 2002, with the eight and final released in 2006. On that same year it was adapted into a 26-episode anime series by Studio Deen; the following year, 24 episodes were released under the title Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (When They Cry II: Solutions).

Anime News Network describes the series’ story as such:

“On one hot summer day in 1983, a transfer student named Maebara Keiichi comes to a peaceful rural village in Hinamizawa. There, he befriends his classmates Rena, Mion, Rika, and Satoko. Accepted as a full-fledged member of the “club,” Keiichi and the gang plays all sorts of activities ranging from card and board games to hide-and-seek. But just as Keiichi was beginning to be assimilated in simple rural life, he stumbles upon the dark history of Hinamizawa. As Keiichi dives deeper into the mystery, he finds that his new found friends may not be all what they claim to be.”

Source: Anime News Network