On one hot summer day in 1983, a transfer student named Maebara Keiichi comes to a peaceful rural village in Hinamizawa. There, he befriends his classmates Rena, Mion, Rika, and Satoko. Accepted as a full-fledged member of the "club," Keiichi and the gang plays all sorts of activities ranging from card and board games to hide-and-seek. People will remember that THIS was how playing used to be before the advent of video games. But just as Keiichi was beginning to be assimilated in simple rural life, he stumbles upon the dark history of Hinamizawa. Dam contruction project. Violent demonstrations. Kidnapping and extortion. ARM-AND-LEG DISMEMBERMENT MURDER. As Keiichi dives deeper into the mystery, he finds that his new found friends may not be all what they claim to be.

Alternate Title(s):
The Moment the Cicadas Cry
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Manga:
tankoubon: 10

One hot day in 1983, a transfer student named Maebara Keiichi comes to live in the peaceful villiage of Hinamizwa. He befriends fellow classmates, Mion Sonozaki, Rena Ryugu, Rika Furude, and Satoko Houjou who welcome him as a member of the "club". Keiichi and his friends play games like Old Maid and even Hide and Seek. The way life was for kids BEFORE video games. However Keiichi soon stumbles upon Hinamizawa's dark history: Every night, during the Watanagashi festival, one person goes missing and another winds up dead. As Keiichi gets deeper into the mystery, he learns that there may be more to his new friends than meets the eye.
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Anime Sequal:
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni 2
Due to release 2-2007