Higurashi was a hot topic in the aniblogging world. And why shouldn’t it be? The blend of light comedy and violently straightforward plot was nothing out of the ordinary…the distant settings and diverse character involvements, however, is definitely something you don’t see everyday. Granted, they tend to follow typical moe stereotype (Rena specifically), but there’s always something to balance it out. The quality that gives this anime its absolute best value isn’t in the gore, cute lil’ Rika, or even the explosive suspense. What makes it truly come to life is how the integration of every detail comes into place to make a stunningly surreal ending. Spoiler Warning, to all who care.

The final battle that takes place between Rena and Keiichi sent me into drool mode. Not only did the developers and story designers execute each story arc almost flawlessly, but they brought meaning to them. Not just pointless short stories (Though if they were, they’d be equally as amazing.), these arcs play a key part in the mystery of Hinamizawa.

The ending involved Rena undergoing the same situation as Keiichi in the first arc — confused and feeling betrayed by her comrades. Though the story is still seen through Keiichi’s eyes, we later understand just what’s causing Rena to burst into fits of pure moe rage. Everyone works together to help Rena understand her fault, finally resulting in a battle between Keii-kun and Rena-cleaver and baseball bat. The hand may be quicker than the eye, but a big freakin’ cleaver always wins. Therefore, Rena’s just about to make a Keiichi fillet…when she realizes that she’s been hurting her friends. That everything seems so familiar, and that these things keep happening. That starts a bit of suspicion within the group, but that’s unimportant…because that’s how season one ends. Season two picks up right from a separate arc (after some uber-creepy foreshadowing…) This attention-shifting process and storyline mix-up is what makes this anime shine brighter than others in the genre, not to mention a final battle for the ages. If you haven’t seen this, don’t miss out.

~Al