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2* YMMV/HigurashiWhenTheyCryGou
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8* AdaptationDisplacement: The ''VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry'' anime is far more well known in North America than the original sound novels or the manga adaptation, but it was never popular in any way that mattered; it sold poorly[[note]] (reasons include a lack of marketing due to licensor Creator/{{Geneon}} shutting down shortly after its release, a dub that many fans considered weak, and piracy – fansubbing culture was at its most rampant at the time this show came out)[[/note]], to the point that no one Stateside was willing to touch the series again until Sentai Filmworks re-released it in 2016. The manga, on the other hand, occasionally graced the bestseller list, and all of the "canon" arcs (as well as most of the side stories) have been translated. Its popularity was high enough that there was never any doubt about ''Umineko'''s manga getting an official translation.
9* {{Adorkable}}:
10** Rena is a bubbly girl who is obsessed with cute things and collects garbage so she could take it home with her.
11** Mion, the tomboy of the gang, becomes this when her more feminine side comes out, particularly regarding Keiichi.
12* AlternativeCharacterInterpretation: ''Everyone'', since each arc shows a different character through a different lens and allows the reader to see through their thoughts.
13* AngstWhatAngst: Rena's world view at the start of Tsumihoroboshi-hen. [[BreakTheCutie It doesn't]] [[AxCrazy work out]].
14* ArcFatigue: Rescuing Satoko from Teppei takes up a good chunk of Minagoroshi-hen. Since the Club wants to avoid the [[MurderIsTheBestSolution quickest option to get rid of Teppei]], they instead rally the village for support so they can convince child services to offer help. While it's important for avoiding scenarios like Tatarigoroshi-hen, the payoff takes a while.
15* SugarWiki/AwesomeMusic: This is part of the reason why the show is so terrifying at points. The soundtrack is particularly epic in ''Kai''. See [[AwesomeMusic/WhenTheyCry its own page]].
16* BizarroEpisode: 'Higurashi Daybreak', which is a 3rd person shooter game that has the players fight each other in teams of two [[ExcusePlot for a pair of magatama]] with no sign of the horror, drama, or mystery which the series generally has.
17* BrokenBase:
18** The fanbase is divided on which sprites are the best – the original's, the [=PS2's=], or the Steam release's.
19** Another issue with the [=MangaGamer=] release is that they plan to censor Satoko's nude sprite, which is used in a non-sexual context during the third game, to include a towel covering her to meet with Steam's terms of service, which do not allow nudity. Fans have argued over whether the sprite should have been censored in the first place, and whether the new sprite (released on their [=ask.fm=] page) needs to be censored ''further''. (The "censored further" approach is actually the closest to the description given by the narrative of said scene.)
20** A bigger broken base is Higurashi Kira. Since each episode focused [[FanService on]] [[ShipTease very]] [[ParodiedTrope dif]][[MagicalGirl ferent]] [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments elements]], it is very difficult to have one definite opinion about the whole OVA. Especially since the last episode is rather different from the first three, being more serious and closer to the feel of the original series. Cue discussions which of the episodes are good and which aren't.
21** The [=OVAs=] in total are this. A lot of fans hate the lack of horror in most of them, despite the fact that [[spoiler:the Endless June is finished and thus there's no need for the HatePlague or drama]].
22** The dub. It was received positively by some reviewers (notably Anime News Network), but was extremely polarizing among the fanbase, with Creator/MelaLee's performance as Rena getting the most attention (both positive and negative).
23** The anime adaptation in general is this among those who read the original Visual Novels or read the manga adaptation. Is it a worthy or decent enough adaptation, or is it a poorly rushed mess filled with OffModel moments, {{Flanderization}} of the cast(mainly Rena and Shion), and too much focus on the blood and gore at the expense of the emotional moments.
24* CargoShip: Chie x Curry, Rena x Kenta-kun.
25* CompleteMonster:
26** [[spoiler:The [[WouldHurtAChild unnamed "Staff Leader"]] of the [[OrphanageOfFear orphanage]] the young [[BigBad Miyo Takano]] was sent to is an ill-tempered authoritarian who [[DisproportionateRetribution punishes a boy for spilling his pen's ink by making him ingest it]]. When Takano and her friends make an escape attempt from his cruel establishment, he has her friend and the ringleader, Eriko, sent to the chicken coop to be pecked to death. Takano herself doesn't fare much better, as the head forces her to clean a filthy outhouse with her tongue. Though merely a flashback character, it was the orphanage head's horrific cruelties that [[BeingTorturedMakesYouEvil broke Takano]] into becoming the psychopathic, villainous woman she is now.]]
27** [[spoiler:[[BitchInSheepsClothing Nomura]], the GreaterScopeVillain of the series is a representative of the secret organization Tokyo, and sought to topple the Old Koizumi faction. A [[ManipulativeBitch skilled manipulator]], Nomura [[TheManBehindTheMan tricks a despondent Miyo Takano]] into aiding her with her goals, claiming that she'd back her research in return. Working behind the scenes, Nomura masterminds the Great Hinamizawa Disaster, a catastrophic event in which a special forces unit is deceived into massacring over 2,000 people via improvised gas chambers. She then creates a cover up story, citing that sulfide gas spread throughout the town, killing everyone. Viewing Takano as only a tool, she attempts to [[YouHaveOutlivedYourUsefulness dispose of her as to sever any loose ends]], and ultimately leaves her to take all of the blame.]]
28** ''Kaku ~ Outbreak'' AlternateContinuity {{OVA}}: [[spoiler:[[BigBad Nomura]], as always, is a cold sociopath working behind the scenes. Acting as the prime minister of the shadowy "Alphabet Council", when her research into a strand of the Class-C brain parasites inadvertently leaks in Hinamizawa, Nomura pressures the prefectural governor into quarantining the village as a means of further testing the effects the parasites have on the populace. [[LackOfEmpathy Uncaring]] that thousands of Hinamizawa's inhabitants would be [[DrivenToMadness driven homicidally insane]] from the advanced stages of the virus, Nomura sought to use it as a [[HatePlague bioweapon]], much to the horror of the prefectural governor.]]
29* CrackPairing: In Hirukowashi-hen Rena/Tomitake, [[LesYay Takano/Rena]], Ooishi/Rena (OVA Only), Irie/Rena (Game Only).
30** Keiichi/Oryō (OVA) takes the cake.
31* CryForTheDevil - Is it even possible to feel anything but disgust for [[spoiler:Takano]] after the end of ''Minagoroshi''? After reading ''Matsuribayashi''...yes it is.
32** You can also cry for [[spoiler:Shion]] at the end of ''Meakashi''. The anime [[CompressedAdaptation rushes it]] but her inner monologue at the end of the sound novel is a bona-fide TearJerker. The music really doesn't help.
33* EndingFatigue:
34** After the VN's Watanagashi-hen ''could have'' ended on a dramatic high note, Keiichi says it best:
35---> ''Please, somebody end this case. This extremely cruel, pitiful and sad case...please end it.''
36** Tatarigoroshi-hen is labelled "[[BlatantLies The Shortest Scenario]]" in the VN. In the anime, it's an episode longer than the previous arcs.
37* EnsembleDarkHorse: Tomitake, due to the "Tomitake Flash!" meme.
38* EpilepticTrees:
39** If we go by Saikoroshi-hen's continuity (in ''Rei''), Rika mutters to Hanyuu at one point that [[spoiler:she should return to being Rika Furude and stop being the witch [[VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry Bernkastel]].]] It's a bit more explicit in the visual novel version of Saikoroshi-hen, where Rika muses that [[spoiler: she's really a separate person from the Rika who lives in Saikoroshi-hen's world. Rika decides that if she's not Rika Furude she should call herself something else, and looks at a bottle of Bernkastel wine. At the end of the novel Rika thinks that her other self may still be around on a higher plane.]]
40** An AdaptationInducedPlothole made it seem like it was [[spoiler:Satoshi's]] body found in the river because it had short blond hair. This was a mistake on the animator's end and this theory was jossed when the DVD version was released.
41** The events of Outbreak are thought to be a what-if scenario written by Takano as fans pointed out that a Takano is listed on the credits as a writer. It's unknown if this refers to an actual person or the character in the series as it is a very common surname.
42* FanficFuel:
43** The arcs that end in the destruction of Hinamizawa can be done for story ideas where characters get interested to investigate what happened to the town due to inconsistencies in the narrative/the character(s) don't trust the narrative. Especially with the likes of Akasaka and Ooishi.
44** Any arc can be made up by the fans/readers.
45* FandomEnragingMisconception:
46** Dumbing down the series by summing it up as 'that series with the killer lolis' is a good way to annoy many people. Similarly with those who only focus on the horror and gorn aspects of the show, and ignore the emotional element behind it all; not to mention, only two characters actually classify as 'lolis' and [[spoiler:only one of them actually killed anyone but it was an accident]].
47** Calling Rena a {{Yandere}} despite the fact that she isn't one [[note]]Yangire is more accurate[[/note]] also tends to annoy many fans.
48** People who watch clips yet act like they know the full story of Higurashi also annoys many fans. An infamous example is when people assume that [[spoiler:Mion is the killer in Meakashi-hen]] and that [[spoiler:Satoko is a bully towards Rika]].
49* FriendlyFandoms: On good terms with the Creator/NipponIchi and ''Anime/PuellaMagiMadokaMagica'' fandoms.
50* GrowingTheBeard: Watanagashi-hen is often considered this point.
51* HarsherInHindsight: Rena is nearly strangled to death by Rina Mamiya. She's [[Manga/TheUnforgivingFlowersBlossomInTheDeadOfNight not the only person in a Ryukishi07 work who was strangled]].
52** In the eyes of some, [[spoiler:Takano's]] FreudianExcuse loses all sympathy when you realize that their machinations have caused [[spoiler:Rika ''[[EternalRecurrence centuries]]'' [[EternalRecurrence of torment]].]]
53** For arcs that end in Hinamizawa's destruction, one may think of Fukushima being abandoned after the 2011 earthquakes.
54** In Watanagashi-hen (episode 5 of the anime), [[spoiler:Mion explains that she's the nice, pleasant twin, whilst Shion is mean and nasty]]. Then in episode 8, we find out that [[spoiler:it's the other way around (Mion is evil, Shion's the victim]]) and THEN in Meakashi-hen, we find out that [[spoiler:Mion was right all along]]. On the other hand, [[spoiler:Shion WAS Mion all along, but at that point things are confusing enough without considering that.]]
55** When Shion escapes from her boarding school in Meakashi's prologue, she's pretty flippant about the punishment she and her accomplice Kasai will likely face once her grandmother finds out, even joking that Kasai [[{{Yubitsume}} should start kissing his pinky goodbye]]. [[spoiler:Shion's the one who ends up suffering {{Fingore}} to cover for him.]]
56** The first dialogue between Tomitake and Keiichi sounds very weird after ''Tsumihoroboshi-hen''.
57-->'''Tomitake:''' What is she doing in such a place?\
58'''Keiichi:''' Beats me. Maybe she's checking up the body she has cut in pieces and buried here?
59* HeartwarmingInHindsight: Rika petting Tomitake's head is this due to her being aware that he would go missing on the night of the Cotton Drifting Festival.
60* SugarWiki/HeReallyCanAct: Suffice it to say that the role of Rena is by far the most famous role Creator/MaiNakahara has ever played vocally.
61* HilariousInHindsight: One of Rika's catchphases, aside from "Nipah~" also includes, "Mii~" In ''VideoGame/ProjectXZone'', Creator/YukariTamura, the voice of Rika Furude, plays the female OriginalGeneration character, named Mii Koryuji.
62** Back when Funimation held the rights to distribute the anime, someone from the company's acquisitions team mentioned that the sequels will not be picked up due to mediocre sales. Come 2020, they picked the rights to distribute ''Gou''.
63* HoYay: Notable in Keiichi's "K" persona in ''Kai''. Also in Satoshi's image song, he sings "The person who can listen to my wish is only you~!"... which is immediately followed by him screaming Keiichi's name. On the other side of the fence, the official artwork and such often exploits the fact that, out of the core seven characters, only one of them is a guy for all it's worth.
64** There's also a bunch of LesYay between the female cast members. The animators take advantage of this in their anime-only scenes, and official arts.
65* ItWasHisSled: [[spoiler:Rika's stuck in a GroundhogDayLoop, people die in this series and they come back to life, Rika has a NotSoImaginaryFriend who is a God, the HatePlague,]] Mion has an identical twin sister, [[spoiler:Satoshi is alive]]... Everything about this series is well-known.
66** Also the infamy of the Eye Opening chapter.
67* JerkassWoobie:
68** [[spoiler:Shion]] in both ''Watanagashi-hen'' and ''Meakashi-hen''. [[spoiler: She [[TwinSwitch switched with her twin sister Mion]] before the main events of the story. Permanently. This causes her to be shunned and abused by her entire family, even sent to St. Lucia to be 'trained properly'. She escapes, and was then [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured just because of that reason.]] She meets Satoshi, [[BecauseYouWereNiceToMe who treated her unlike anyone else did before.]] [[DeclarationofProtection She swears to protect him for this reason.]] Then, as soon as she sacrifices her fingernail for that boy, [[SenselessSacrifice he disappears.]]]] Fortunately, [[TheAtoner she gets better in other arcs.]]
69** Even the BigBad [[spoiler:Miyo Takano]] qualifies. [[spoiler: Her parents died at a young age due to a car accident, and she was sent to an orphanage afterwards. Said orphanage turns out to be an OrphanageofFear and she was abused for days, even months. When she and her friends get the chance to escape, she was the only one who was freed thanks to her calling her soon-to-be grandfather, and the rest of her friends were killed. When Hifumi adopts her, she was finally happy, but then people mistreated him because of his research. Takano then worked as hard as she could to save this research after [[DriventoSuicide Hifumi's death]], but no one was there for her when it happened, and her research was shunned once again. The Mountain Dogs, her goons, ended up betraying her at the very last moment, because Nomura, one who was supposed to be Takano's ally, paid them for it. Takano was to be killed as a scapegoat for the crimes of everyone else, which was prevented only by Tomitake. Despite all the bad things she did, it's hard not to feel for her.]]
70* LesYay: Several pieces of official art. Usually revolving around [[{{Twincest}} Mion & Shion]] (first season) or Satoko & Rika (sometimes with Hanyuu; second season). Similar behaviors pop up throughout the series.
71* LessDisturbingInContext:
72** [[spoiler:Rika's [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N4Ag1TAR-jc suicide]]]] is quite disturbing taken out of context, but in the context of the series, it becomes a SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome. A disturbing SugarWiki/MomentOfAwesome, but at least a ''less'' disturbing one. This is done [[IntendedAudienceReaction intentionally]], because the infamous scene appears at the beginning of the fifth episode, ''before the opening sequence'', with absolutely no context, and it's not until the second half of the season that we see the events leading up to that scene.
73** Inverted in the first episode with a ColdOpening that may be shocking, but isn't quite disturbing until seen in the context of the arc. And then becomes more disturbing the more context is revealed after the arc.
74** Played straight or inverted for generally any poor schmuck that comes across clips of ''Higurashi'' without knowing that [[spoiler:there’s a GroundhogDayLoop and that characters go crazy if they catch the HatePlague]], which is why characters act friendly towards one another in a climatic moment while another scene shows them killing each other.
75* MemeticBadass: According to some, even Chuck Norris is terrified of Shion Sonozaki.
76** Is also a MemeticTroll.
77** Chair-kun from ''Saikoroshi-hen'', from the signature scene of Rika pummeling Satoko with one. Many fans were ''ecstatic'' to see its return in ''Sotsu''.
78* MemeticMutation: Their laughs.
79** On Hanyuu in the last arc: Why can't anyone her horns?
80*** [[UnusualEuphemism I'd her horns.]]
81*** They're handlebars.
82** U SODA?
83** [[ImTakingHerHomewithMe Omochikaeri~]]
84** HE'S TEPPEI!: A phrase used to show a lack of empathy towards Teppei Houjou whenever he gets killed due to how much of a scumbag he is.
85** "You could have just thrown it away, but sure, go ahead and make a mess in the kitchen.", "Keiichi's mom is gonna be pissed.", and "It looks like Keiichi was throwing poop around." are common comments on the scene where Keiichi [[spoiler:eats ohagi from Rena and Mion and thinks he bit into a needle they put into them, leading to him having a FreakOut.]]
86** Do you know Oyashiro-Sama?
87*** Yes, Hinamizawa![[labelnote:explanation]]GratuitousEnglish lines from the character song "Keiichi Ooishi no Uwasa no Jikenbo ABC".[[/labelnote]]
88** MMMMMAEBARA-SAN[[labelnote:explanation]]An exaggerated portrayal of Ooishi's drawling way of speaking.[[/labelnote]]
89** Ooishi's air conditioned car[[labelnote:explanation]]In ''Onikakushi'', Ooishi invites Keiichi into his car, emphasizing that it's air conditioned and thus more comfortable to talk in. This led to jokes involving Ooishi and how much he loves air conditioning.[[/labelnote]]
90** [[https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=J0WKMcO7akQ&feature=youtu.be AND HERE COMES THE GIANT FIST!!!]][[labelnote:explanation]]The infamously [[TearJerker depressing]] scene where Shion stabs Satoko to death had an edit of it made in 2009 where the audio is replaced by the scene in the ''WesternAnimation/SpongeBobSquarePants'' episode "[[Recap/SpongeBobSquarePantsS3E5MermaidManAndBarnacleBoyIVDoingTime Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy IV]]" where Patrick plays with a shrunken Squidward, subjecting the original scene to CrossesTheLineTwice for how disturbingly fitting the audio is.[[/labelnote]]
91* MemeticMolester: Rena's going to [[ImTakingHerHomeWithMe take you home!]]
92* MemeticPsychopath: While much of the cast does in fact go crazy at some point, Rena seems to get the worst of it in terms of exaggeration, often being falsely labelled as a {{Yandere}}. This is mainly because of Onikakushi-hen [[spoiler: where Keichii is imagining her psychotic behavior]], due to it being the first arc, and the one that viewers are most likely to have seen.
93* MisaimedFandom:
94** Remember kids, according to this fandom it's a-ok to [[spoiler: beat defenseless little girls to almost death]] because you find them clingy and annoying. Nevermind that this is [[spoiler:a {{Yandere}} tantrum from the culprit instead of a HatePlague-caused hallucination]], and that [[spoiler:the little girl's brother found out and [[PunchedAcrossTheRoom was MOST pissed off]]!]], nooooooo...
95** [[PayEvilUntoEvil The many deaths of Teppei also get cheered on by most]], while the series is very much against such vigilante action. Whenever a character murders Teppei, that's a sign that [[spoiler:they have fallen into the terminal stage of Hinamizawa Syndrome and things will just get worse from here on out.]]
96** A clip of [[spoiler:Rika using a chair to beat up Satoko for bullying her]] is applauded by viewers that are not familiar with ''Higurashi''. This has led to a few viewers saying that [[spoiler:Satoko got what she deserved on clips of Satoko getting brutally killed]], which is a completely different context.
97* {{Moe}}: Rena, Rika, and Satoko. Rika is well aware of that and uses her cuteness for her advantage numerous times. She even won the 2007 Saimoe Tournament.
98* MoralEventHorizon:
99** The Shion arc is a veritable LensmanArmsRace of inexcusable acts starting with [[spoiler: Oryou]] ordering the ColdBloodedTorture of Shion during the "distinguishment scene" [[spoiler:with Mion enforcing it]], and culminating a few episodes later, with the brutal murder of Satoko.
100** Even more so, [[spoiler:Miyo Takano]] in Minagoroshi-hen after she caps an 11 year old girl in the head after playing mind games with her (and after promising to spare her life before she executed another member of the [[TrueCompanions protagonist clique]] in front of the poor little girl's face). She then immediately proceeds to disembowel another little girl...while she's ''still living''.
101** Teppei Houjo is scum from the start, but he indisputedly crosses it in Minagoroshi-hen when he asserts a psychological hold on his abused niece Satoko by threatening to burn down her brother Satoshi's room should she disobey him and ask anyone to help save her from the abuse he puts her through. In the visual novel, this is also the same arc where Teppei makes it clear he plans on utterly breaking Satoko's life and sexually abusing her in a few years time, putting him further BeyondRedemption.
102* SugarWiki/MostWonderfulSound: "Nipah~!"
103[[/folder]]
104
105[[folder:N - Z]]
106* {{Narm}}:
107** Some of Keiichi's screams of despair can be unintentionally hilarious.
108** Sakoto's FreakOut in Tatarigoroshi-hen is difficult to take seriously when she somehow manages to knock the much-larger-than-her Keichii across the entire room with one shove. It's more believable in the manga and VN where she just knocks his hand away.
109** The anime version of the scene where Shion violently shakes the ladder with Keiichi on it and starts ranting about Satoko in Watanagashi-Hen and Meakashi-Hen. In the original and manga version, it was slowly built up to something terrifying. In the anime, the lack of a build-up, Shion's [[OffModel goofy]] face, and her thrusting made it more like she was humping the ladder takes all tension away from the scene.
110* NarmCharm:
111** The climactic final battle of ''Matsuribayashi'' is pretty awesome, but it's a bit hard to take it seriously once you realize that most of it is essentially [[spoiler:a group of kids not just defeating, but delivering an utter CurbStompBattle to a large number of trained military professionals using nothing but homemade traps, ''Film/HomeAlone'' style]].
112* NauseaFuel: Often accompanies the NightmareFuel.
113** Anytime the characters scratch their necks hard enough that it draws blood. ''Especially'' one scene (which serves as the page image for the NightmareFuel page) where we see what they hallucinate -- maggots squirming around in their throats.
114** The fingernail ripping scene.
115* NightmareRetardant: A brilliantly deliberate example is Oyashiro, whom the series does a fantastic job building up as [[TheDreaded a figure of dread]] [[NothingIsScarier without ever being seen.]] [[spoiler: Then you DO see ''her'' as she truly is - Hanyuu, who couldn't be further away from the mental image you'd constructed in your head by this point.]]
116* NeverLiveItDown: Rena's AxCrazy reputation. [[spoiler:The only arc in which she was ''truly'' crazy was Tsumihoroboshi-hen, and Keiichi eventually managed to bring her back to her senses; the stalking and poisoning in Onikakushi-hen was hallucinated by Keiichi.]] In the other arcs, she's only mildly bipolar and not really all that psycho.
117** Shion's usually a decent person, but [[spoiler:her RoaringRampageOfRevenge in Watanagashi-hen/Meakashi-hen was [[NightmareFuel so horrifying even by the standards of the series]] that she will be forever known as "That [[AxCrazy psycho]] {{Yandere}} chick who [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured everyone to death]]."]]
118* PanderingToTheBase: The first episode of ''Rei'' and all of ''Kira'' due to there gratuitous use of fanservice. [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_RaUPlVeD2E Just look at Kira's trailer!]]
119* ShipToShipCombat: Between "[=KeiMii=]" and "[=KeiRei=]" shippers, but it stays mild and peaceful.
120* SignatureScene:
121** Keiichi bashing [[spoiler:Mion and Rena]] with a baseball bat at the start of the story is probably this. Also the earlier scene where Rena confronts Keichi on the road with her cleaver in hand and gets LaughingMad, and Rika headbutting a knife while [[spoiler:Shion dressed as Mion]] is cackling insanely about it.
122** The {{Fingore}} scene in Meakashi-hen.
123** The duel on the rooftop in Tsumihoroboshi-hen. Iconic enough that in the [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=emUAmC0ckl8 Kizuna Rasen promo]], that scene was the only one where a special animation was worked directly into the promo instead of simply showing one of the [=CGs=] from the game very slightly animated.
124** Rika bashing Satoko with a chair in ''Higurashi: Rei'' which was brought back for ''Higurashi Sotsu''.
125* SignatureSeriesArc: Meakashi-Hen and Tsumihoroboshi-Hen. The former arc is infamous for Shion going on a [[RoaringRampageOfRevenge revenge rampage on several characters]] as well as having some of the most [[TearJerker emotional]] moments in the series. Most notably [[spoiler: Shion's fingernails being ripped off]], [[spoiler: Rika killing herself with a knife to avoid being tortured by her]], [[spoiler: Shion's brutal torture and murder of Satoko]], and Shion [[spoiler: killing herself after [[MyGodWhatIhaveDone she realized what she did]] and imagining being part of the gang including keeping Satoshi's promise to take care of Satoko.]]. The latter arc for heavily emphasizing the theme of [[ThePowerOfFriendship friendship]], Rena slowly sucumbing to [[spoiler: Hinamizawa Syndrome]], and the awesome and Tearjerker rooftop fight between [[spoiler: Rena and Keiichi, as the latter tries and succeeds in bringing Rena back to her senses]], which is THE SignatureScene of the series.
126* SlowPacedBeginning: The Question Arcs start off as light-hearted comedies, and it takes a while for [[MoodWhiplash the horror to kick in]]. These light-hearted scenes do contain some truly [[SugarWiki/FunnyMoments hilarious]] and [[SugarWiki/HeartwarmingMoments sweet]] moments, but seeing a group of happy friends playing card games and laughing together instead of the violence and murder you were promised might feel a bit odd, although it ''is'' necessary to get the full enjoyment out of the story - seeing one friend go crazy and murder the others is a lot more impactful and tragic when you get to see ''how'' strong their friendship was before the tragedy.
127* SoBadItWasBetter: This is a common opinion towards the original sprites, which are both crudely drawn and [[PuniPlush hilariously unfitting for the subject matter]] (in particular, the sausage-fingered hands which have a habit of turning into flesh-mittens). The sprites in newer releases look much more professional, which leads to them not being nearly as distinctly baffling.
128* SoOkayItsAverage: How the dub is usually received now. It's certainly not bad, and voice actors like Creator/GrantGeorge, Creator/MelaLee, and Creator/MeganHollingshead gave their performances their all, but it was a typical low-budget Bang Zoom dub of the era with some questionable casting choices (this was before voice actors like Creator/CristinaVee and Creator/BrycePapenbrook became Bang Zoom mainstays), and not very memorable overall.
129* SpecialEffectFailure: The passages where the girl's eyes shift to "split pupils" in the LiveActionAdaptation are a bit... conspicuous.
130* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: How several fans who read the Visual Novel or Manga feel about the anime. Mainly the fact that the blood and gore was more emphasized at the expense of the emotional moments of the series. The anime version of the end of Meakashi-Hen is a particular sour note as that version in the anime had [[spoiler: Shion falling to her accidental death trying to get back to her apartment after stabbing Keiichi with only one line about her regretting her actions.]] Where as in the original version [[spoiler: Shion has a BattleInTheCenterOfTheMind while under the Hinamizawa Syndrome in her apartment yelling at a hallucination of Mion, and throws herself out the window. She survives the fall on top of a roof but feels [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone completely regretful]] about all of the things she's done in the arc and decides to [[DrivenToSuicide roll off the roof]] while reminiscing about being part of the gang while the iconic theme You plays in the credits]], which is considered to be one of the highpoints of the series.
131* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: Many fans regard [[spoiler:Satoshi's reappearance]] in ''Kira'' as a pointless yaoi OneSceneWonder.
132* ThisIsYourPremiseOnDrugs: Bipolar murder mystery anime on PCP. [[FandomEnragingMisconception The fans wouldn't appreciate that kind of description, however]].
133* UnintentionallyUnsympathetic:
134** Yes, [[spoiler:Takano went through hell as a child and her adoptive grandfather was unjustly humiliated, but she's still a psycho who will happily toy with and discard lives ForScience, and becomes dead-set on gutting a little girl whose death will pave the way to commit genocide on a village that never wronged her, yet she's mostly let off the hook in ''Matsuribayashi-hen'' to ensure a "no losers" ending.]]
135** Oryou Sonozaki [[spoiler: treated Shion horribly and was responsible for the Houjou siblings' otracisation. Mion and Akane certainly ''claim'' she has a softer side but her only positive action is largely indirect and we never see her express any remorse for what she [[{{Fingore}} did to Shion.]] Combined with her KickTheDog moments and with how her SlaveToPR attitude causes a massive amount of problems for the protagonists, the audience is more likely to agree with Shion's perception of her as a horrible old woman.]]
136* TheUntwist:
137** In [[{{Foreshadowing}} the beginning]] of ''Watanagashi-hen,'' Mion jokingly [[spoiler:calls herself [[CainAndAbel the good twin]] and Shion [[EvilTwin the bad twin]]]]. But of course, we see [[VerbalIrony quite the opposite]] play out...[[UnreliableNarrator or]] [[GoodAllAlong do]] [[EvilAllAlong we]]?
138** [[spoiler:The manga arc ''Yoigoshi-hen'', which is in a Great Hinamizawa Disaster timeline, features a woman claiming to be Mion, but characters point out that Mion died 20 years ago, and "Mion" is shaken when she meets another major character who bears an uncanny resemblance to Satoshi. She even delivers a monologue that resembles Shion's speech in ''Watanagashi-hen'' ("I'm the demon inside Mion!" etc. etc.). Yes, she's actually Shion. It's a bit different from ''Watanagashi-hen'' though; Mion's ghost actually possesses Shion for most of the story.]]
139** More generally, [[spoiler:the fact that Miyo Takano is the BigBad. She was so suspicious from the start that various fans were sure there'd be some other explanation for it. Nope, as it turns out.]]
140* TheWoobie: Every character can be considered as such.
141** Poor, poor Rika. She starts off as an innocent young girl, but [[spoiler:a spark of her dark past is revealed when Ooishi confirms that her parents died on the third year of Oyashiro-sama's curse. Then Minagoroshi-hen reveals that she's [[GroundhogDayLoop trapped in a time loop]] where she tries to save her friends over and over again, but wounds up failing everytime. She feels the pain of her death every time, from getting tortured to death to getting disemboweled. Some of these deaths were caused by the hands of her own friends, the ones who she loved so much. Keep in mind that, despite her mental age, Rika is only 11 years old. What makes it worse is that she has been doing this for over one hundred years, and the change in her personality and her bad habits become very understandable.]]
142** Satoko and Satoshi [[spoiler:had to deal with their mother remarrying every time. Some of their fathers were [[AbusiveParents hot-tempered and abusive]] to Satoko, when her mother kept on blaming her for her problems. Their entire family was [[AllOfTheOtherReindeer shunned and bullied by the entire village]] just because their parents supported the dam project. They take Satoko to the cliff in an attempt to make it up to her, but then the railings gave in and they fell to their death. Both siblings were then taken in by their aunt and uncle, who were [[BabysitterfromHell very abusive to them.]] In the Sound Novel, Irie even mentions that they made them starve as a punishment. Satoshi kills his aunt to protect Satoko, but then disappeared because of the Hinamizawa Syndrome. Satoko is then left alone. Then in Tatarigoroshi-hen and Minagoroshi-hen, she is kidnapped and abused by her uncle, and Shion does the same thing to her in Meakashi-hen, except this time, she was [[ColdBloodedTorture tortured and killed.]]]]
143** Mion. [[spoiler:Poor Mion. [[OnlySaneWoman She was the only character to not succumb to the disease,]] and yet [[TheScapegoat everyone continues to blame her for everything that happened in Hinamizawa.]] To make things worse, Mion even arrives to the point of [[ItsAllMyFault blaming herself.]] In Onikakushi-hen, she tries her best to help Keiichi, but ends up getting killed by him in the process. In Watanagashi-hen and Meakashi-hen, [[BreakTheCutie Mion was forced to witness the deaths of her beloved friends, all while being trapped in a jail cell and being threatened to be killed by her sister.]] Along with Tsumihoroboshi-hen and Tsukiotoshi-hen, those arcs feature the characters blaming Mion for things she never did.]]
144** [[spoiler:Shion.]] See JerkassWoobie.
145** Rena. [[spoiler:Her [[ParentWithNewParamour mother divorced her father,]] and Rena [[ItsAllMyFault blamed herself for not noticing it.]] It gets so bad that she even [[HisOwnWorstEnemy starts cutting herself,]] and due to the Hinamizawa Syndrome, [[SanitySlippage hallucinated maggots in her blood.]] Not to mention how, beforehand, [[AttemptedRape she was almost raped by three boys]] who she considered as her friends, which caused her to [[FreakOut go wild and break all the windows at her school.]] In Onikakushi-hen, Rena tries to help Keiichi, but he ends up killing her. Even so, she refuses to give up and continued her attempts to save him even though she was on the verge of death. In Tsumihoroboshi-hen, a GoldDigger named Rina/Ritsuko seduces her father and attempts to steal his fortune, while working with Satoko's abusive uncle, Teppei.]]
146** In the past, Keiichi [[spoiler:was bullied by his classmates for being so smart. This along with his stress of trying to live up to everyone's expectations [[LonersAreFreaks caused him to take his stress out on young kids,]] shooting them with BB guns. [[MyGreatestFailure Keiichi realizes his mistake]] and confesses, so he and his parents moved to Hinamizawa. [[MyGodWhatHaveIDone Tsumihoroboshi-hen implies that Keiichi is still guilt-ridden with what he did.]]]]
147** Hanyuu [[spoiler:was hated by the villagers back then just because she had horns, which confirmed to them that she was a demon. When her daughter Oka was kidnapped by the villagers, Hanyuu went wild and went on a genocide mission to save her. Oka is then forced to kill Hanyuu because of it, and Hanyuu accepts this fate. As a result of this sacrifice, the villagers believed that sacrificing an innocent to save the sinful was the solution. This became a tradition in Hinamizawa for years. People sacrificed others in the name of Oyashiro-sama, and the real Oyashiro-sama is [[ForcedToWatch forced to watch.]] When Rika was born, she was the first who can see Hanyuu after a thousand years. Even so, Hanyuu was forced to watch Rika's death over and over again, believing herself useless as [[GodsHandsAreTied she couldn't do anything to save her, her friends, and the people in Hinamizawa.]]]]
148** The BigBad, [[spoiler:Takano]]. See JerkassWoobie.
149** Irie. [[spoiler:The Sound Novel reveals that he lived in poverty, and when he got to college, he moved to the city to become a doctor. One day, he received a letter saying that his father was having sudden violent outbursts, and he didn't mind it until his mother arrived at the city and revealed that his father had been abusing her. Irie planned to return home to speak to his father for the New Year, but it was too late, as his father died before he could.]]
150* TheyChangedItNowItSucks: On April 1st 2019, an announcement was made that the entire soundtrack for the visual novels would be remade. Some of the tracks merely got remastered (including some, like Fascism and Gear, that were of very low quality), but some tracks, such as Digital Network, got replaced by completely new music. It was not an AprilFools joke, despite the date, and many people were upset at the loss of the classic soundtrack.
151* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: It isn't despite the cheery beginning atmosphere of every episode, the cute faces and the flowers... It's more like NightmareFuel - or a BlackComedy.
152** The [[BloodierAndGorier manga]] [[WhatDoYouMeanItsForKids on the other hand....]]
153* {{Woolseyism}}: The French version of the sound novel doesn't hesitate to take a few liberties with the original text, and they usually work extremely well.
154** Hanyū's VerbalTic "Au au au !" becomes "Mééé euuuh !" [[note]]untranslatable, but it expresses a childish and embarrassed protest[[/note]], which is incredibly cute and fitting; similarly, Rika's [[UnsoundEffect "Nipah~~*"]] becomes "Ehéééé~~*".
155** Satoko is given a ''very'' elevated speech full of subjunctives and more or less obscure words, and uses the distant pronoun "vous" to adress everyone. Her nickname to Satoshi "Nii-nii" is also adapted as "Totoche".
156** In lieu of "Kei-chan", [[TheGadFly Mion]] usually calls Keiichi "p'tit gars"[[note]]pronounce "ptee gah"[[/note]] ("lil' guy") while [[TheTease Shion]] calls him "mon cœur" ("sweetheart"). They do call him "Kei" sometimes, but not often.
157[[/folder]]

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