Shelf Life

When They Cry: Kai

When I reviewed the first season of When They Cry back in March, I was struck by how much I liked the show, given its rough first impressions. The animation and character designs were pretty ugly, and the story was presented in a rather unique way that nonetheless created some noticeable pacing and tonal issues. Still, in spite of its problems, When They Cry season 1 managed to create an atmosphere of genuinely unsettling horror, one backed up by a compelling central mystery and an endearing cast. This month, Sentai is releasing When They Cry's follow-up, When They Cry: Kai, for the first time in the West. Does this second entry in the Higurashi saga live up to the expectations set by the first?

There are two things to note before answering that question. The first is that When They Cry: Kai is a full-fledged sequel, and simply wouldn't work as a standalone product. While normally I would include a summary of the plot right about here, just about any description of what occurs in When They Cry: Kai would constitute heavy spoilers for the first season, which I absolutely want to avoid. If you haven't seen the first season of When They Cry, turn back now!

If you have seen the first season, all you need to know is that Kai continues the story of the small Japanese village of Hinamizawa, and the children that are forced to unravel its deranged and deadly mysteries. Keiichi, Rena, Mion, Shion, Satoko, and Rika all return, and even though the details of their bloody summer are more clear, nothing can prepare them for the scope of what they'll be facing in this second season. I'll leave it at that, lest I ruin any of the surprises in store for new and old viewers alike.

The second thing to note is that When They Cry: Kai is a completely different animal from its predecessor, both in aesthetics and tone. Despite carrying on the story and the characters from the first season, anyone that goes into Kai expecting more of the same will be in for a big shock. For many, such as myself, this will only make things more interesting. However, it was the sharp, gory shock of horror and twisted storytelling that made the first season so notable in the first place, and those elements definitely take a back seat this time around. Those of you looking for a scary story to keep you up at night should go into When They Cry: Kai with tempered expectations.

So what is When They Cry: Kai, if not the blood-soaked horror-fest the first season was? Well, for one thing, it's a much better looking show. The animation seems to have gotten a boost in budget between seasons, not to mention more modernized character designs, and the difference is like night and day, despite being not all that different on the whole. When They Cry: Kai is a much more consistently well animated product, and therefore a much more effective one. The first season had some moments of suspense that animation gaffes turned into unintentional comedy; none of that is to be found here.

The show is also much more effectively paced this time around. The first When They Cry series contained roughly six chapters of varying length and quality. This worked well to tell a variety of stories that all expanded on the central mystery of the series, but it also felt very uneven in execution. When They Cry: Kai contains 3 chapters, and all three of them have room to breathe and hone in on the characters at their center. The central mystery to “Why” the terrible things are happening in Hinamizawa is solved fairly early on, and the remaining beats of the story focus on how our heroes can work their way out of a seemingly impossible scenario. This works mostly to the show's advantage, especially given this series' shift in tone. As I mentioned above, much of the shocking and chaotic horror of the first season is absent in these final three chapters, though that isn't to say When They Cry has lost its mean streak. When They Cry: Kai focuses on a much more cerebral kind of horror, replacing needles and machetes with more lingering psychological and physical pains. Much of this season focuses heavily on issues of child abuse that the original series only touched on, for example, which might be good to know before diving into things.

While the slow-burn approach to the story's escalation is mostly effective, it does create long stretches that nearly approach feeling dull, especially in the final third of the season. While it never quite crosses that threshold, I did end up feeling that the series could have cut out a couple of episodes' worth of running time and not been worse for the wear. The story also gets a little overstuffed in a way that the first season never did; the blending of horror, comedy, conspiracy, and drama isn't pulled of as effectively this time around. There are so many plot threads to resolve that it makes sense for there to be a lot of exposition and set up as the series approaches its conclusion, but it does mean Kai ends up feeling a little frontloaded when it comes to the tension and mystery of the proceedings.

At the end of the day though, When They Cry: Kai does what it sets out to do: It finishes what When They Cry started. Questions are answered, conflicts are brought to a head, and everyone gets an ending, one way or another. When taken with its predecessor, When They Cry: Kai tells a visceral and compelling story that left me feeling satisfied when it ended. That's more than enough for me.

What isn't quite as satisfactory is Sentai Filmworks' Blu Ray release of the season, which is perfectly adequate, though not without some noticeable flaws. First off, this is a Japanese-Audio only release, which will no doubt be jarring for viewers who followed the first season in its English dub. The subtitles provided are okay, though they feel rushed. Colloquial accents are translated inconsistently, and I spotted a couple of typos scattered throughout. The AV transfer is also only just okay; there is a tendency for the colors to get washed out and over-saturated, and while I don't know how much of that is to be blamed on art direction, it is distracting nonetheless. The set costs around fifty dollars, which puts the entire series at almost $100, and neither of the sets include extras outside of opening and ending themes. While I absolutely loved the series itself, I'm much more ambivalent about its overall presentation. Unfortunately, this is only way to legally watch When They Cry: Kai in the West, so if you want to see the conclusion to the series, this is the only way to do it.

When They Cry and When They Cry: Kai have been very interesting series to review. Their production values range from janky to alright, and the dense, complex narrative often ends up biting off a little more than it can chew. Their Blu-Ray transfers have been fairly underwhelming, to boot, and are pretty expensive, which might turn a lot of viewers away, and understandably so. Still, I've truly relished my time with this series. Its wonderfully weird mix of moe and murder fuels a compelling and emotional tale of surprising depth. When They Cry is far from perfect, yet I can't help but love it. My recommendation isn't without reservations, but if you've got the cash, and you're looking for a story that is as adorable as it is filled with anguish, then When They Cry: Kai and its predecessor both belong in your collection.
-James[TOP]