I am including the whole anime series from 2006-2013.

Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni. Also known as When They Cry was originally produced as a Visual Novel in 2002 by independent doujinshi writer Ryushiki 07 and would release the entire story in chapter format from 2002-2006 and in the year of final publication of his work in 2006 was also the year famed Studio Deen would release the anime based on the first 6 chapters of this visual novel to the world.

In 2007 I was still in school and my tastes in anime were quite simply just Inuyasha or whatever was airing on Cartoon Network or Studio Ghibli films. I hadn't had much exposure to the world of anime or what could be, then I got into my horror phase and wanted nothing more than to gobble up every horror film, series, and anime.

For the anime scene, there were a few good horror anime's even then like Ayakashi: Japanese Classic Horror, Elfen Lied, or Paranoia Agent were all great examples, even something like Perfect Blue so I wasn't spoiled for choice and had a great time with all those anime's when I would eventually see them, but one of the first to ever actually grab me and demand my attention was Higurashi, it's music was everywhere on Youtube, it had so many early AMV's or tributes to it and I had even seen some scenes that legit made me scared and too disturbed to watch, I just had to check this show out.

When I started watching it on Youtube I was kinda feeling as if it was a bit odd like the first scene hooked me and then I was treated to the most amazing opening for a show I had seen at that point, but after that, the whole story just seemed to be about a bunch of kids hanging out having fun.

The story has a pretty simple concept with an interesting setting in that it takes place in 1983 in a rural village of Hinamizawa and follows 5 friends that all just seem to like hanging out and playing games, teasing the one guy in the group (It's not a harem btw, but I could see people jumping to that idea) and to be honest it just feels like your simple SOL anime and more so a comedy than anything else you'd think scary or horrifying.

While I was expecting the horror to come because of what I had already seen I also felt that what I was watching was great for what it was as I immediately took a liking to the characters.

Then things just start getting a bit strange, like that not everything is what it seemed, then just as quickly as that feeling had occurred almost everything started to change, the music got different, the animation was more focused on character's eyes and the sounds of the world were much louder. Almost as if the whole world of Higurashi was shifting. Then... It happened, Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni haunted me forever with the horror it presented.

The type of horror it assumes isn't jump scare or gore, though they would eventually employ those too in small places, the horror I felt was that of seeing everyone around you as a monster. This has been a fear I've had since a nightmare and to witness an anime take all of it and put it to anime was just something earth-shattering like I had never known that the ones closest to you could also be the ones that could do such terrible things to you and with joy. Almost as like they were manipulated to do this by an evil force of nature.

Ever since then I've never felt the same way about an anime like Higurashi, it's honestly one of the most amazing shows of all time for not just anime, but horror as well. From its story to its sound to its music to its characters, which are so easy to connect to even in a world set in 1983, I feel that this is mainly due to how great the voice cast is, they all give fantastic performances here and there is not one-off sounding individual of the entire lineup.

The main cast especially gives what I feel are award-worthy performances as at times throughout my years of re-viewing I have cried at some of the more painful and tragic moments that the whole franchise presents and the older I get and the more I connect to the story and its characters and the lessons it was telling.

It's a show that starts its genre in horror for its first season but as the show goes along and the more you look into the story and its other installments, it turns into a tragic drama, and this metamorphosis of a genre I had never seen be done before. It's like something I would relate to Evangelion in how it twisted its genre into something else so elegantly.

There are so few animes that can shake me to the core and those that do I've always praised and recommended to people, and from my experience most people I recommend the show to have loved it as well, also I think the legacy of Higurashi speaks for itself, while the VN and Manga are just as popular in their own right, Higurashi's anime has become iconic as well as being considered one of the greatest horror/mystery animes and has garnered lots of references in other animes as well as western shows.

Now there are some flaws in this show no doubt, and some of those flaws are in the production parts, as especially with this first season the art is easy to criticize and has not aged well nore even in its time was it a splendid view and I could easily see people being put off by it even back then, especially if they were not a fan of horror. Although I do see the defense that the rather lackluster artwork adds to the charm of the first season, I still have to admit it's not the strong point of the show.

Also, there is the case that Higurashi's anime is an adaption of the Visual Novel from 2002 and as with many animes that adapt from manga's light novels and visual novels, it cuts a lot of content. Some fans of the VN have even called it a bad adaptation as well as losing the core themes of Higurashi. Which while I disagree and feel the show still showcases the themes perfectly, I can see how a person going from the VN to the Anime could feel this way.

In honesty yes I can see that Higurashi's anime goes much more for a horror approach rather than a mystery drama with some of the tragedy not being complete without the added Slice of Life scenes. And with the Visual Novel updates and the voice cast even being a part of the VN then yer one could argue that Higurashi's ultimate story is in its Visual Novel and not the anime.

But for me, I don't enjoy Higurashi's VN more comedic elements or its sol scenes that it puts forward also I feel the VN's length is too much of a snail's pace for me to enjoy as I could with the anime or the manga. I love the VN and the fanbase for Higurashi is quite great too, but most will agree that the anime didn't fully adapt Higurashi to its full potential.

Still, I do have to argue that one does not need to be a perfect adaption to be great on its own, and in my case, I feel Higurashi has so much to offer its anime viewers that I think it would be a shame to dismiss the anime based on those reasons alone.

But having said that, Higurashi's anime from 2006-2013 is honestly one of the greatest experiences I've ever had and even today I still see Higurashi among the greatest animes of all time and still holds a candle for being one of the greatest horror anime, I hope that people have a great experience as I have had.