The essential episodes of Higurashi: When They Cry

Watch these 15 in order and you've got Higurashi: When They Cry — each pick states its reason.

01
S01E01 · Pilot · April 5, 2006 · 24m
The Hidden Demon Chapter - Part 1 - The Beginning6.7
Keiichi Maebara, a student who recently moved into the village of Hinamizawa, is invited by his new friends at school to join their club. But while searching for treasure at a garbage dump with Rena Ryugu, he discovers the village is not as peaceful as it seems.
02
S01E02 · Season 1 peak · April 12, 2006 · 24m
The Hidden Demon Chapter - Part 2 - Secret8.5
The annual Watanagashi Festival finally starts, and everyone has fun feasting and playing games. However, in the following day, Keiichi is interrogated by chief police officer, Oishi, about a crime that occurred at the night of the festival, and he starts fearing the villagers might be involved in this and other similar incidents, like Oishi suspects.
03
S01E03 · Top rated · April 19, 2006 · 24m
The Hidden Demon Chapter - Part 3 - Suspicion8.5
Delving further into the mysteries surrounding the village, Keiichi's paranoia grows after he starts to suspect that someone might be after his life.
04
S02E01 · Top rated · July 6, 2007 · 24m
Reunion9.0
Mamoru Akasaka, with an assistant, visits the abandoned town of Hinamizawa in the year 2007, and meets with Officer Oishi. They still wonder about the Great Hinamizawa Disaster that decimated the town and the connection to Miyo Takano's File No. 34. Rena shares with them the little knowledge she has about Rika's strange behavior, shortly before the supposed "gas leak", and Akasaka recalls his meeting with the young Rika as well.
05
S02E06 · Top rated · August 10, 2007 · 24m
The Massacre Chapter - Part 1 - Law of the Labyrinth9.0
Rika begins a new world with Hanyū, but is getting tired of seeing her friends commit the same acts that lead them to terrible mistakes, until Keiichi proves to her that people can change their destinies if they want.
06
S02E07 · Top rated · August 17, 2007 · 24m
The Massacre Chapter - Part 2 - How to Change Destiny9.0
Influenced by Keiichi's encouragement, and the fact her friends are starting to avoid doing the same mistakes again by remembering glimpses of what they could have done, Rika decides to find a way to prevent her ominous destiny by herself.
07
S02E08 · Top rated · August 24, 2007 · 24m
The Massacre Chapter - Part 3 - Fluctuation9.0
Rika's plans are hindered by the appearance of Teppei, who much like in "Tatarigoroshi-hen", begins to abuse Satoko. Keiichi and the rest of the gang decide to find a way to release her from his clutches, but the government is reluctant to cooperate.
08
S02E10 · Season 2 peak · September 7, 2007 · 24m
The Massacre Chapter - Part 5 - Confrontation9.5
Keiichi's struggle to help Satoko forces him to confront the village elders, even the leader of the Sonozaki family. As the government succumbs to the pressure of Keiichi and his allies', Satoko's condition is also at its limit.
09
S02E11 · Top rated · September 14, 2007 · 24m
The Massacre Chapter - Part 6 - A Strong Will9.5
At last, Rika persuades Satoko to ask for help and she is freed from Teppei. However, just when the village seemed to be relieved from its eternal cycle of hatred and death, the real enemies start to act, just like they did in previous worlds.
10
S02E13 · Top rated · September 28, 2007 · 24m
The Massacre Chapter - Part 8 - Finale9.5
One after another, Rika's friends are killed while trying to protect her. Takano dissects Rika, but does so without anesthesia, as requested by the latter in an attempt to carve the identity of the culprit behind all the Hinamizawa murders in her mind and prevent the events from this and past worlds from repeating themselves. The villagers are rounded up at the school and gassed to death, while an ecstatic Takano proclaims her ascension to godhood.
11
S02E17 · Top rated · October 30, 2007 · 24m
The Festival Accompanying Chapter - Part 4 - Strategy9.0
In order to save Satoko, who is terminally infected with the Hinamizawa Syndrome, Rika offers herself as a test subject for Irie and Takano's research. More light is shed into the deaths of Satoko and Rika's parents, and its involvement with the legend of Oyashiro-sama's curse.
12
S02E18 · Top rated · November 6, 2007 · 24m
The Festival Accompanying Chapter - Part 5 - The Final Piece9.0
More details about Satoshi's past are revealed, including the reason for his disappearance. Rika and Hanyū make their final preparations for the impending struggle against destiny.
13
S02E20 · Top rated · November 20, 2007 · 24m
The Festival Accompanying Chapter - Part 7 - Trap9.0
Rika gather her allies and start to make plans, while obtaining more information about the enemy and those supporting their ambitions.
14
S02E21 · Top rated · November 27, 2007 · 24m
The Festival Accompanying Chapter - Part 8 - 48 Hours9.0
False information regarding Rika is spread by Oishi's group at the precinct, leaving the villain's crew in disarray, and racing against time to prevent their plans from being foiled.
15
S02E24 · Series finale · December 18, 2007 · 24m
The Festival Accompanying Chapter - Part 11 - End9.5
The rest of the Yamainu concede defeat, but Takano is unwilling to surrender. After learning Nomura in Tokyo planned to use her as a scapegoat, she flees into the mountains and has a final confrontation with Rika's group. In the end, the Banken comes to arrest her, but Tomitake, pitying her and seeing how she had been infected with the Hinamizawa Syndrome, takes her into the the Irie Clinic for treatment. At the end, Rika and her friends Hanyū, Keiichi, Rena, Satoko, Mion, and Shion, attend the festival.

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