When They Cry Complete Series DVD Review
Geneon, FUNimation Distribute Studio Deen Anime
Sep 9, 2009
Studio Deen's When They Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni in Japan) was another victim of the great Geneon meltdown of 2007. However, Geneon's deal with FUNimation has given this anime a new life on DVD.
A psychological horror that unexpectedly whipsaws between charming comedy and visceral horror, When They Cry is a thrilling ride through a world where nothing is quite what it appears to be.
Geneon, FUNimation Distribute Studio Deen's When They Cry, Based on Ryukishi07 Manga
In June of 1983, teenager Keiichi Maebara moves to the tiny village of Hinamizawa, he swiftly finds himself making friends with a group of 4 girls: bossy tomboy Mion, cutesy Rena, plus younger friends Rika (considered the heir to the local shrine) and Satoko, whose mischievous nature hides a trauma-filled past. Despite tormenting Keiichi at every opportunity, he notices sparks flying between himself and each of the girls, especially Mion whose tough exterior hides some secrets of her own.
Keiichi also discovers the village has been the scene of a series of strange events that occur every year around the annual Watanagashi (Cotton Drifting) Festival. An outwardly innocuous event that conceals demonic implications, there have also been a series of unsolved murders that happened during the festival.
Veteran police detective Kuraudo Oishi wants to catch the killer before his retirement and he turns to Keiichi for help, since all the murder victims had some kind of connection to Keiichi's friends. Will this put Keiichi into the killer's crosshairs? Who can he trust in this mysterious town?
That sounds pretty straightforward, right? Not a chance.
This series has so many twists and turns it would make M. Night Shyamalan's head spin. Sinister events occur and reoccur: sometimes told from a different point of view, other times with different details. On an initial viewing, one might be tempted to think the story supervisor was asleep at his post, but viewers have to be patient: there's a method behind the madness and it's a real stunner when the realization hits.
This anime is rated for 16 and up, and it deserves that designation. From the opening sequence – depicting a wild-eyed figure bludgeoning a pair of dead girls with a baseball bat – this anime jumps from teen comedy to grisly horror and back again in the same scene. It's a frighteningly effective technique; the viewer is never quite sure where the next shock is coming from.
DVD Extras
You have more Geneon previews, plus textless opening and closing songs.
The Final Analysis
If you like thrillers like Memento or The Usual Suspects – where nothing is quite what it seems – then When They Cry is right up your alley. Be aware that this series doesn't stint on the graphic violence or gore, but it's one hell of a ride.
When They Cry gets a 9/10.
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