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New Higurashi: When They Cry Anime's 2nd Video Reveals Episode 1's October 1 Debut, Episode 14's January 7 Debut (Updated)

The official website for the new Higurashi: When They Cry (Higurashi no Naku Koro ni) anime project posted the second promotional video and the latest visual on Friday. The video reveals that the first 13 episodes will premiere on October 1, and that episode 14 will premiere on January 7. It also confirmed more returning cast members.

Episode 1 will premiere on October 1 at 23:30 on the Tokyo MX and BS11 channels, and it will also run on the Sun TV channel as well as on the d Anime Store and Hikari TV services. Episode 14 will then premiere on January 7 on those same venues. The manga adaptation by Tomato Akase will launch in Kadokawa's Young Ace Up service on October 2.

The newly confirmed cast members are:

• Chafūrin as Kuraudo Ooishi
• Tōru Ohkawa as Jirō Tomitake
• Miki Itō as Miyo Takano
• Toshihiko Seki as Kyōsuke Irie

The anime was originally scheduled to premiere in July, but it was delayed due to the effects of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19) on the production schedule.

Returning cast members also include Sōichirō Hoshi as Keiichi Maebara, Mai Nakahara as Rena Ryūgū, Satsuki Yukino as Mion Sonozaki, Mika Kanai as Satoko Hōjō, and Yukari Tamura as Rika Furude.

Ryukishi07 and 07th Expansion are credited with the original work. Keiichiro Kawaguchi is directing the series. 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. Naoki Hayashi (Black Fox, Citrus) is in charge of the series composition for the anime. Kenji Kawai (Ghost in the Shell, Patlabor, Mobile Suit Gundam 00) is returning as the composer for the series.

The other staff members include:

• Assistant Director: Takashi Ikehata
• Art Director: Kazuhiro Inoue (Kusanagi)
• Background Art Supervision: Saho Yamane (Kusanagi)
• Color Key Artist: Arisa Komatsu
• Compositing Director of Photography: Yuichiro Tozawa (Graphinica)
• Editing: Ayako Tan (Graphinica)
• Sound Director: Hiroto Morishita
• Sound Effects: Shota Yaso (Swara Pro)
• Music Production: Frontier Works

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 "Hou" 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 last July.

Sources: Higurashi: When They Cry anime's website, Mantan Web

Update: Tokyo MX and BS11's premiere time and Young Ace Up's title corrected. Thanks, BalmungHHQ