David Wilder - Outside Assignment 4: Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni

This was another anime I've viewed over the course of the semester, and perhaps my favorite thanks to its puzzling and intelectual content. Its genre is closest to psychological suspence and mystery and revolves around a group of young kids in a rural village. However, a murder occurs and the characters and viewer alike are plunged into a classic "who done it?" However, unlike many stories of this genre, events are shown differently throughout the course of the series, each adding a few more pieces to the puzzle. The anime ends before the final conclusion of hte story and it's left to the viewer to piece it together. I found it enlightening to watch it through again, finding things I had not seen before or had missed and/or forgotten. A very enjoyable series indeed. Nevertheless, it is filled with several relavent themes pertaining to religion. throughout the series, the murder is often referring to Oyashiro-sama's curse, that is, punishment by the Villiage's guardian for various sins or crimes commited against him personally or against the villiage. This is thrown out as one possible solution to the mystery. Furthermore, the repitition of events give the viewer a feeling of the mundane. The story continues, but seems to reset before a conclusion can be achieved. Nevertheless, the series ends with a glimpse of sacred time, a possible solution. Of course, the series only allows a glimpse, and it is ultimately up to the viewer to figure it out. However, the end of the story is being made into a second season which will air this year, and will undoubtedly reveal the puzzle many have sought after.