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New Higurashi: When They Cry Anime Project Brings Back Cast
posted on by Jennifer Sherman
The official website for the new Higurashi: When They Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) anime project revealed returning cast members on Monday. Sōichiro Hoshi is returning to play Keiichi Maebara, and Mai Nakahara is playing Rena Ryūgū.
Ryukishi07 and 07th Expansion are credited with the original work. Akio Watanabe (Monogatari Series anime franchise) is designing the characters, and Passione (Citrus, Rokka: Braves of the Six Flowers, High School DxD Hero) is animating the project. Infinite is producing the series.
The first Higurashi: When They Cry television anime series aired for 26 episodes in 2006, and the When They Cry II: Solutions (Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni Kai) anime aired for 24 episodes in 2007. Geneon Entertainment Inc. released the first anime on DVD in 2007-2008. Funimation then released the anime on DVD in 2009 and 2010. Sentai Filmworks most recently released both anime on Blu-ray Disc and DVD in 2016.
07th Expansion launched the first chapter of the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni visual novel software in 2002 at Comiket. The story revolves around murders that coincide with an annual festival in a quiet rural village. Ryukishi07 and 07th Expansion released Higurashi: When They Cry Hou for PC in Japan in 2014 as a "thank you" to series fans (the kanji used for Hō is used in the word Hōnō, "dedication").
MangaGamer released the original visual novel in 2009, and has been releasing Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Hou as 14 individual chapters.
The software also inspired several video anime projects, two live-action films, and manga adaptations by several artists. The game most recently inspired a stage play that ran in July.
Sources: Higurashi: When They Cry anime's website, Comic Natalie
