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Higurashi When They Cry (Manga English Numbering) #19
Higurashi When They Cry: Massacre Arc, Vol. 1
The “Curse Killing Arc” . . . The “Time Killing Arc” . . . As each incarnation of the terrible events in Hinamizawa unfolds, Rika Furude must watch as her friends descend into madness and despair, knowing the only fate that awaits her is death. With the unique ability to see all of these worlds, Rika desperately searches for the common links between them, which will help her break the cycle and give her and her friends a happy future beyond June 1983. But with less than a month before the cotton drifting in her current life, will Rika be able to change destiny in time?
484 pages, Paperback
First published December 22, 2008
8 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
About the author
Ryukishi07
253 books321 followersRyukishi07 (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.
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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
July 20, 2017
I feel like a monster but I just don't care about Satoko. If she's the only thing in the way for Rika to finally have a "good" ending ... oh well, collateral damage. I don't know how much more of a good ending they'll ever get. I mean, Tomitake is still alive even!
Come on, that's good enough. 😛
3.5 rounded down because of Satoko
Come on, that's good enough. 😛
3.5 rounded down because of Satoko
February 25, 2020
I've read and watched the first six arcs of Higurashi several times. Obviously, there's something about them that I enjoy, that I find compelling about them.
Once we get to the seventh arc here, though, things just aren't as good, in my opinion. The sense of mystery evaporates as the author decides every little corner of the Hinamizawa universe needs to be explained, and the pacing slows to a crawl. What started off as short, sharp horror becomes pages and pages of bloat and repetition. A new character is introduced who supposedly been around this whole time, but we don't see her until now. It feels like a retcon.
I never managed to get to the eighth and last arc in my previous read-throughs, because I got bored and tired by the end of this one. I'm hoping that starting here this time will allow me to finish the series. Maybe the last, longest arc will make me feel that wading through the seven 500-page manga volumes of the seventh and eighth arcs is worth it. But I have my doubts.
Once we get to the seventh arc here, though, things just aren't as good, in my opinion. The sense of mystery evaporates as the author decides every little corner of the Hinamizawa universe needs to be explained, and the pacing slows to a crawl. What started off as short, sharp horror becomes pages and pages of bloat and repetition. A new character is introduced who supposedly been around this whole time, but we don't see her until now. It feels like a retcon.
I never managed to get to the eighth and last arc in my previous read-throughs, because I got bored and tired by the end of this one. I'm hoping that starting here this time will allow me to finish the series. Maybe the last, longest arc will make me feel that wading through the seven 500-page manga volumes of the seventh and eighth arcs is worth it. But I have my doubts.
December 27, 2020
There are no happy endings in Hinamizawa and nobody knows that better than Rika Furude. For as long as she can remember she has been stuck in an endless cycle of death and despair that may take myriad paths, but the result is always the same - she dies in June, 1983.
With time running out, a thin ray of hope appears, but trusting anything in Hinamizawa is the fastest way to get disappointed...
Well, it‘s back to the village and we’re finally exploring things from the perspective of Rika, who has been killed in every single arc thus far, but unlike the other characters (although this is changing slightly), she is well aware of every single time this has happened.
I like that this imparts her with a certain knowledge but it also comes with caveats - as expected, Rika knows nothing of what happens after she died and in some of those arcs she is taken out far earlier than others. She knows a lot of the paths but not everything about them, nor the all important answer about who keeps killing her.
Next, this endless cycle of failure has lead to her feeling helpless and jaded about her ability to avoid what seems to be a destined fate. On top of that, the spiritual entity that has been the source of her ability to keep attempting to avoid her death is losing its power and Rika’s running out of chances.
Which explains a lot of her smug attitude when things start going SO right at the start. You can see from Rika’s perspective that finally having an ally might make all the difference, but that carries straight on into hubris that proves to be manifesting far, far too soon - you can never overlook the slightest detail in a series like this, especially if you’re a main character.
It’s great the way so much of the previous stories gets re-used in both positive and negative ways to affect things. From small details from the very first story to somebody I thought was a throwaway character during one of the more throwaway chapters. There’s a certain elegance to how this keeps coming together every time.
And it’s truly amazing that Higurashi is still revealing nuances and secrets about characters that have been around for so many stories. I really shouldn’t be surprised by how strong the writing is, but there are two great revelations in this first volume, one of which is for a character we are technically meeting for the first time.
If you don’t like the supernatural aspect of the series, I can see this being more of a let-down than I found it. By this point it’s clear that things are never as simple as they seem, however, so I don’t know if you’d still be reading it by this point anyway.
4 stars - this one rides a serious wave of emotions that goes from hopeful to utterly screwed really quickly. Another great book in a great series, but no doubt the worst is yet to come. I mean, I don’t expect much by way of a happy ending... it’s called the massacre arc and we haven’t even seen a single body yet...
With time running out, a thin ray of hope appears, but trusting anything in Hinamizawa is the fastest way to get disappointed...
Well, it‘s back to the village and we’re finally exploring things from the perspective of Rika, who has been killed in every single arc thus far, but unlike the other characters (although this is changing slightly), she is well aware of every single time this has happened.
I like that this imparts her with a certain knowledge but it also comes with caveats - as expected, Rika knows nothing of what happens after she died and in some of those arcs she is taken out far earlier than others. She knows a lot of the paths but not everything about them, nor the all important answer about who keeps killing her.
Next, this endless cycle of failure has lead to her feeling helpless and jaded about her ability to avoid what seems to be a destined fate. On top of that, the spiritual entity that has been the source of her ability to keep attempting to avoid her death is losing its power and Rika’s running out of chances.
Which explains a lot of her smug attitude when things start going SO right at the start. You can see from Rika’s perspective that finally having an ally might make all the difference, but that carries straight on into hubris that proves to be manifesting far, far too soon - you can never overlook the slightest detail in a series like this, especially if you’re a main character.
It’s great the way so much of the previous stories gets re-used in both positive and negative ways to affect things. From small details from the very first story to somebody I thought was a throwaway character during one of the more throwaway chapters. There’s a certain elegance to how this keeps coming together every time.
And it’s truly amazing that Higurashi is still revealing nuances and secrets about characters that have been around for so many stories. I really shouldn’t be surprised by how strong the writing is, but there are two great revelations in this first volume, one of which is for a character we are technically meeting for the first time.
If you don’t like the supernatural aspect of the series, I can see this being more of a let-down than I found it. By this point it’s clear that things are never as simple as they seem, however, so I don’t know if you’d still be reading it by this point anyway.
4 stars - this one rides a serious wave of emotions that goes from hopeful to utterly screwed really quickly. Another great book in a great series, but no doubt the worst is yet to come. I mean, I don’t expect much by way of a happy ending... it’s called the massacre arc and we haven’t even seen a single body yet...
January 19, 2013
I'll warn you, if you're looking for something light, this won't be the read you're hoping for. While this is the same size height-wise as the previous volumes in the Higurashi series, it's easily just as long as the first volume of Umineko and comes in at about 500 pages. This and the second volume of the Massacre Arc are far longer than the previous volumes, so make sure to take that into consideration when you read them.
If you're familiar with the series, you'll know that this is the penultimate arc of the series and the one where everything really and truthfully starts to change and prepare us for the end of the main series. We're given hints in this volume as to who exactly is the person pulling the strings behind the scenes, with the identity of the killer given in volume two. This is the answer arc to the Curse Killing Chapter, and mercifully it's not as dark as CKC at times. We've still got one arc to go so we know that this probably won't end with roses and kittens, but this first volume gives us definite hope for a permanent happily ever after at some point.
What really helped set this volume apart for me was how honest Rika was during the entire volume. She's been re-living countless deaths for about 100+ years, which has jaded her and her companion Hanyu (the real Oyashiro) almost beyond the point of no return. Rika gets a new breath of fresh hope and it's really nice to see her honestly react to new situations and opportunities coming up. The artist really did an awesome job of showing us exactly how depressing it would be to die over and over again and to see your hope slowly die as you receive less and less time each time you reincarnate. What really sort of rubs salt into Rika's wounds is that she's perpetually stuck in the body of a pre-pubescent girl, meaning that odds are that Rika started the hundred years off with the outlook of a girl her age. It's amazing really, that Rika's lasted this long when you think about it. The reason I bring this up is that the artist does an excellent job of bringing all of this weariness across for the most part without resorting to showing buckets and buckets of gore. It makes it that much more interesting to see Rika really react to her surroundings for the first time, which makes me realize that we really haven't seen the true Rika until this volume.
This really is an excellent volume and I had to stop and pace myself before moving on to the next volume so I could really absorb everything. I would absolutely recommend this to fans of the series, although like previous volumes, if this is your first entry into the series then you won't want to start here. You'll be absolutely lost.
On a side note, I wanted to let you know that this volume is an omnibus of volumes 1 and 2 in the Massacre Arc. At 6 volumes long, this was the longest manga arc in the series thus far and I have to say that I liked Yen Press's decision to release the volumes together like this. It helps keep the tension going, something that I think the individual volumes would have potentially cut into. Maybe it was also to cut down on the expense of releasing each volume individually. Either way, it's less I have to wait for release-wise, which I like.
It also helps set the tone for the final manga arc, which originally comprised of 8 volumes and will be released in 4 chunky volumes. There is a slight worry about the spines deteriorating over time, but these are pretty solidly built. It's as of yet unknown if Yen Press will release any of the other side arcs such as there are 4 other arcs aside from those in the main series and the one side arc (Demon Exposing Arc). All I can say is that if Yen Press will release them, I'm guaranteed to buy them.
If you're familiar with the series, you'll know that this is the penultimate arc of the series and the one where everything really and truthfully starts to change and prepare us for the end of the main series. We're given hints in this volume as to who exactly is the person pulling the strings behind the scenes, with the identity of the killer given in volume two. This is the answer arc to the Curse Killing Chapter, and mercifully it's not as dark as CKC at times. We've still got one arc to go so we know that this probably won't end with roses and kittens, but this first volume gives us definite hope for a permanent happily ever after at some point.
What really helped set this volume apart for me was how honest Rika was during the entire volume. She's been re-living countless deaths for about 100+ years, which has jaded her and her companion Hanyu (the real Oyashiro) almost beyond the point of no return. Rika gets a new breath of fresh hope and it's really nice to see her honestly react to new situations and opportunities coming up. The artist really did an awesome job of showing us exactly how depressing it would be to die over and over again and to see your hope slowly die as you receive less and less time each time you reincarnate. What really sort of rubs salt into Rika's wounds is that she's perpetually stuck in the body of a pre-pubescent girl, meaning that odds are that Rika started the hundred years off with the outlook of a girl her age. It's amazing really, that Rika's lasted this long when you think about it. The reason I bring this up is that the artist does an excellent job of bringing all of this weariness across for the most part without resorting to showing buckets and buckets of gore. It makes it that much more interesting to see Rika really react to her surroundings for the first time, which makes me realize that we really haven't seen the true Rika until this volume.
This really is an excellent volume and I had to stop and pace myself before moving on to the next volume so I could really absorb everything. I would absolutely recommend this to fans of the series, although like previous volumes, if this is your first entry into the series then you won't want to start here. You'll be absolutely lost.
On a side note, I wanted to let you know that this volume is an omnibus of volumes 1 and 2 in the Massacre Arc. At 6 volumes long, this was the longest manga arc in the series thus far and I have to say that I liked Yen Press's decision to release the volumes together like this. It helps keep the tension going, something that I think the individual volumes would have potentially cut into. Maybe it was also to cut down on the expense of releasing each volume individually. Either way, it's less I have to wait for release-wise, which I like.
It also helps set the tone for the final manga arc, which originally comprised of 8 volumes and will be released in 4 chunky volumes. There is a slight worry about the spines deteriorating over time, but these are pretty solidly built. It's as of yet unknown if Yen Press will release any of the other side arcs such as there are 4 other arcs aside from those in the main series and the one side arc (Demon Exposing Arc). All I can say is that if Yen Press will release them, I'm guaranteed to buy them.
August 1, 2022
Gdzieś pomiędzy światem żywych i umarłych mieszka Fredricka Bernkastel. Jest ona tak naprawdę Riką Furude, ale taką, która nigdy nie opuszcza tego wymiaru, nie kontaktuje się z Oyashiro czy ludźmi z Himinazawy. Zamknięta w swoim wszechświecie tylko czeka na ponowne pojawienie się na chwilę Riki. Może jest śmielsza niż Rika, ale pewnie to dlatego, że nie posiada wspomnień o własnej śmierci jak ona. Frederika ma za zadanie przyglądać się kolejnym reinkarnacjom Riki, które są niejako gromadzone we wznoszących się w powietrzu kryształach.
Więcej na: https://www.monime.pl/gdy-zaplacza-cy...
Więcej na: https://www.monime.pl/gdy-zaplacza-cy...
October 23, 2025
Not as great as the previous arc so far, but still good.
I should have skipped some of the first chapter, since it was basically a recap of the series. It's great if you are reading this book months or years after the last one, but I started this immediately after, so I didn't need most of it (I did read the question arcs last year though).
Blog: nazreads.ca
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazreads01, nazcosplay, nradesigns, charmedanimegirl01
I should have skipped some of the first chapter, since it was basically a recap of the series. It's great if you are reading this book months or years after the last one, but I started this immediately after, so I didn't need most of it (I did read the question arcs last year though).
Blog: nazreads.ca
Twitter: Naz_readsanime
Instagram: nazreads01, nazcosplay, nradesigns, charmedanimegirl01
August 12, 2024
2.75⭐️
Zacznijmy od faktu, że to jest jakiś tom z serii o czym nie miałam pojęcia - w bibliotece było tylko to.🙃
Brakuje mi rozbudowania świata - czegoś więcej (może wynika to z faktu, że było to wyjaśnione na początku). Historia ciekawa - ale z historii z nutką fantastyki zmieniła się w historię o przemocy domowej. Jakby nie ogarniam.
Zacznijmy od faktu, że to jest jakiś tom z serii o czym nie miałam pojęcia - w bibliotece było tylko to.🙃
Brakuje mi rozbudowania świata - czegoś więcej (może wynika to z faktu, że było to wyjaśnione na początku). Historia ciekawa - ale z historii z nutką fantastyki zmieniła się w historię o przemocy domowej. Jakby nie ogarniam.
June 5, 2020
I am happy this volume is less bloody than the previous ones. The gory violence had started to bore me a little bit. This volume is taking a more psychological approach to the problem and this is refreshing.
May 25, 2021
weebing with Berfin dostumm #21
June 20, 2023
It wound up being kind of cute but I was expecting more gory. Decent read.
July 29, 2016
This was pretty good, even though I stupidly read this before the previous arcs oops. It kept me in suspense and on my toes, but also did a very good job explaining the situation to me seeing as I was going in blind. Worth the buy for sure.
October 15, 2012
great book to read really ties in most of the arcs that have come before it
September 16, 2013
I guess what really confused me about these books. Was after each story arc, they simply restarted it over again with a new plot and a new murderer but the outcome was always the same.
January 6, 2016
sucked me in right away
September 14, 2016
Another rating: 9/10
Soo bittersweet! And almost everything was explained!
Soo bittersweet! And almost everything was explained!
July 14, 2021
I love this series. Each volume we know more, tension grows. I'm really curious how'll it end...
Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews