Higurashi When They Cry: Atonement Arc, Vol. 2

Higurashi When They Cry Manga Japanese Numbering #16

by Ryukishi07, Karin Suzuragi

Rena has taken extreme measures to protect her and her father's happiness, but such drastic actions have terrible consequences. When her friends learn of her crimes, they feel no revulsion toward Rena, but rather a sense of regret that they hadn't been able to help her and avert this tragedy. But even if they had sensed Rena's desperation, would her classmates' pity have transformed itself from sentiment into action? Hadn't they had the same opportunity to prevent tragedy a year earlier, when Satoshi Hojo was suffering abuse at home, and failed to prevent his desperate act of murdering his aunt? How much can Rena afford to trust in a place like Hinamizawa?

Genres: Manga, Horror, Mystery, Graphic Novels, Thriller, Shonen, Paranormal

216 pages, Paperback

First published July 22, 2007

About the author

Ryukishi07 (竜騎士07, Ryūkishi Zero Nana?, born November 19, 1973) is the pen name of a Japanese man originally from Chiba Prefecture who is well-known as the original creator for the idea of the visual novel series Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and Umineko no Naku Koro ni. He is the representative member of the group 07th Expansion. His pen name originated from the Final Fantasy series, "Ryūkishi" being the Japanese term for "Dragoon", and "07" goroawase for the name "Lenna". His illustration style is recognizable from the large hands he draws on people.

Reviews

[Mark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rena’s got nothing she wants more than a happy life in Hinamizawa. Unfortunately for her, history has shown that happiness and Hinamizawa go together as well as chalk and cheese. Particularly sharpened chalk and bloody cheese, even.

With everything going on in the foreground and background of this arc, it’s practically raining shoes over the narrative. I love that Rena’s story could easily have veered into a ‘discovery of a concealed crime’ narrative and it instead goes wildly afield from that.

Once she’s cleared the obstacles in her life, Rena hopes things will get better and, with Keiichi’s help, her friends are on her side. This offers one of the best reasons for the main cast to be so young - only teenagers would be this loyal given the circumstances (although given this group’s penchant for offing one another, loyalty is a nebulous term...).

There’s so much going on throughout this book that it’s kind of crazy how much story they get through. Keiichi has one hell of a “flashback” to something he shouldn’t and nobody bats an eye when Rika shares her secret, but along with most of her other statements there’s a real sense that we’re getting to the truth of the matter.

I also kind of love the crazypants explanation for the true curse of the village. It both makes no sense in a real world context, but at the same time it explains absolutely everything. It even comes with a really grotesque visual! And I might be wrong, but I think that there was an addendum to the curse compared to how it’s usually presented, which might explain why Keiichi has had some truly bad luck over the course of the series.

Having the person who reveals all this be the person who most sounds like a paranoid schizophrenic on their best day is a masterstroke in terms of keeping it all in doubt. It’s part of the true strength of this series - this is well into double digits in terms of volumes but the way information is revealed has been mostly spot-on.

Where the book does nothing for me is the usual. I mean, this book has 2000s anime/manga moe nonsense down to a science by this point and it’s the one thing this book needs absolutely none of because its core premise is so engrossing. Blah blah broken record.

Easy four stars. The next volume preview promises even more in terms of finally acknowledging what we’ve been seeing happen and there’s an unexpected turn from one character that I am dying to see an explanation for.

[Alycia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Now wait a damn minute… what?

[Dylan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kinda suspected this was what the mystery was leading up to, wow. But I'm sure there's more of a twist. Can't wait to read more! Love this series!

[Nazish Ahmed (Nazish Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know there are two volumes left of this arc, but I think this might be the best arc in this series so far. I'm so hooked that I can't focus on anything else. I don't even remember what I did these past couple of days, this seriesis all I can think about, even when I'm talking to people and look like I'm paying attention, I'm pretty good at that sometimes. I'm glad it's a Sunday, and I can just keep reading this series instead of not reading them for hours because of work.



The following is an update on October 20, 2025.

I am loving this series so much!
I already loved it when I watched the first 3 arcs in the anime years ago (don't know I never finished it), then I read upto before the Eye Opening Arc last August and this year (especially since it's October), I decided to finally finish it this month, as much I don't want to since I love it so much. Now that I'm almost finished the Atonement Arc, I am loving this series even more, to the point that I'm thinking of either ranking it as my second favourite manga series along with Bleach and The Apothecary Diaries or dethroning Fairy Tail from 3rd and putting this series there. I still have lot's of volumes to go, but I'm hoping that I'm not disappointed and end up lowering my ranking.

This arc is the Abducted by Demons arc again but this time Rena is the one who gets paranoid and goes crazy instead of Keiichi. I wish we got to see it from the others povs, what they were thinking when he was spiraling, but seeing it go a different way with Rena as the main character is Interesting too. I love that we finally see how she thinks and why she did those things in the past, that it wasn't as sinister as it seemed in the beginning of this series. On the surface, she seems like a carefree happy airheaded girl, but inside, the real her is actually pretty smart, always thinking (I think all of the girls plus Keiichi are like that on the inside) and has family issues.

I really want to rewatch the anime (I watched the first 3 arcs years ago, I don't know why I never finished it), then read upto the Eye Opening Arc last summer and I've decided to finish this series this month even though I want to prolongue it as much as possible because I love it so much. I wish I could read or watch this series like it was first time again.

I wish there was someone to talk to about this series, I'm itching to have long conversations about this series. Unfortunately, noone I know in real life loves mystery and psychological stories like I do. In fact, sometimes it feels like my sisters think that anything I like must be bad or ridiculous because anytime I suggest anything, they ignore it, not even let's see what it's about😑


Blog: nazreads.ca
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[Kurtis Burkhardt · Rating 5 out of 5]

Really loving this series!!!^.^ one of the best Psychological mangas I’ve read!!!👌😁😻😻

[Javier Fernández · Rating 5 out of 5]

De nuevo un brillante tomo de las magnifica saga de Higurashi no naku koro ni. Queda demostrado que Rena es una tipa dura y que tiene grandes amigos que logran apoyarla.

[samet]

weebing with Berfin dostumm #18

[Mira · Rating 3 out of 5]

This manga arc makes me feel like I should give the VN version a more unbiased reread.
Takano was cute this volume, too~

[Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great.

[Tia · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars! Wow! What!?! I have ordered the 3rd book on Amazon. This was a turn of events, and I am so intrigued!

[#ReadAllTheBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is gearing up to be a pretty intriguing arc in the series, so I'll warn people: there's a big reveal in this volume as well as a bit of foreshadowing for the future. There's still a long ways to go, but there's enough here to whet your appetite for the here and now.

I couldn't help but feel sorry for Rena and for what she felt she'd been forced to resort to. I've always felt that she was one of the more likable characters in the series and many of her issues are ones that just about everyone can relate to, such as losing a parent to infidelity and having to deal with the other parent moving on. I think that's what makes her such a tragic figure in this arc, second only to the torment that Satoko had to go through in her particular arc. (Only one character's experiences can beat that, but I won't post those spoilers here.)

The artwork in this is still great, especially the colorful splash pages at the beginning. As Rina would say, "I want to take it home with me!"

[nidah05 (SleepDreamWrite) · Rating 3 out of 5]

That's whats good about this series. They intense, dark and drawn good then weird and of course there's the craziness and gore. But still, you want to keep reading, wondering not only what will happen next but how the arc will end and where the new one will begin.

[Echoes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A friend will call a lawyer, a good friend will give you an alibi, but a best friend will will pick up a shovel and help you bury the body. Here's to best friends! I love how Rena handled her problems in this arc, lol. The art style is gorgeous too.

[Jessie Radford · Rating 2 out of 5]

as usual with all of the story arcs, this is the turning part of the story plot where things go from happy and sane to insane.

[Cassie Fleurs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow Keichi is different and more caring in this arc

[Joana Benitez-Brito]

This is breath taking so please read this!!