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REVIEW: When They Cry DVD 6


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daedelus



Joined: 07 Apr 2007
Posts: 743
Location: Texas City, TX (ajd: 6/11/05)
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 12:22 am Reply with quote
One quick thing. I think when you refer to the character Rin, you are actually referring to Rika.

Yeah, that Groundhog Day speech turned a lightbulb on in my brain that makes me hungry for season 2. I can only hope that it is licensed.

Please, someone?
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Chrno2



Joined: 28 May 2004
Posts: 6172
Location: USA
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:53 am Reply with quote
Great review. Considering about how this series ends, does deserve the 2nd season to be licensed.

I never really took notice of this show until I started seeing a good deal of "buzz" for it. Once the 2nd season started a viewer told me not to watch the 2nd season until I had watched the 1st. Of course I had already watched a bit of the first. For what I saw of the first (and I would love to see more) I realized just how well structured this show is and why it's so popular. It really is up my alley. So definitely going on my next "to-buy" list.

So let's keep our fingers crossed for next season to be licensed.
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kefkaownsall



Joined: 05 Jul 2008
Posts: 189
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 7:57 am Reply with quote
I really hope that the second series gets licensed. I saw this arc fansubbed recently and it was still as creepy as the other ones. How can you claw yourself to death is beyond me. I'll probably get the boxset of this series (hopefully with extras.)
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LordPrometheus





PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:16 am Reply with quote
Of all the anime series I've watched, I think this one hooked me the most from the very first episode. I could not stop watching. There's so many plot twists, and the writers do a very good job of giving you just the barest hint of plot, while still managing to totally obscure what's really going on. The ending of season one just screams for a sequel, though, as pretty much everything remains unresolved. I cannot wait for the boxset, and it's rather annoying that Funimation still hasn't announced a release date yet.

Regarding season 2, it is just as compelling as the first one. It's not quite as bloody and horrific, and it takes some of the shock value away once you find out what's really going on, but the plot and characters more than make up for that.

When They Cry is one of the best shows to come around in a long time, especially if you're into psycho murder mystery horror. I really hope that Funimation licenses season two, because it is well worth it.
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pachy_boy



Joined: 09 Mar 2006
Posts: 1335
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:35 am Reply with quote
'(How a girl as dainty as Rena could so handily swing around such a large butcher's knife is yet another mystery, as is how her friends could be so calm and accepting after discovering that their friend has just literally butchered two people, but the producers probably don't want you thinking about those.) '

On the first point, all the characters appear skinny/dainty because that's just how they were designed. And the knife may not be as heavy as it looks either. On the second point, from what I watched, the fact that Rena was their friend and was backed into a corner was what drowned out her act to them, because they felt she really needed them to help her psychologically survive from what she did.

'Bang Zoom's English dub production was solid in the early going but has gotten a little more shaky as the series has progressed. The script still does not vary much from the original, but the performances have become more hit-or-miss as some of the higher-pitched, more dainty voices start to sound forced, almost as if the actors were getting tired of the roles. Some roles are still done quite well - most notably Detective Oishi - and the performances do at least generally portray the characters accurately, but this is not a shining example of dub quality.'

From what I heard, they did a rush-job with the dub toward the end, because by that time Geneon was shutting down and they needed to finish it, so that may have something to do with it. I still like the dub anyway.

I keep saying this in past forums, but the story does expand itself in the second season, and explain how it is that the characters keep going through cosmic resets, why they fall to murderous paranoia and who keeps pulling the strings. I loved how the first series ended, but the second series blew me away even more in ways that surprised me. So I too hope they license it, especially for fans who followed the DVD's and have not watched the fansubs, because they really won't know what they're missing. I consider When they Cry to be one of the best anime series ever, because like Evangelion and Haibane Renmei, you either like it or dislike it but it still really stands on its own from most other titles.


Last edited by pachy_boy on Sun Feb 15, 2009 1:35 pm; edited 3 times in total
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Elfen Noir



Joined: 21 Mar 2006
Posts: 69
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 10:42 am Reply with quote
It took forever to see this from beginning to end with all the release problems, but it was worth it. And, like everyone else, I surely hope the second season is licensed/released/dubbed over here in the US. I will most definitely purchase it, so ... please!
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pparker



Joined: 13 Oct 2007
Posts: 1185
Location: Florida
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 1:05 pm Reply with quote
Without doubt one of my top 10 of anime, and I'm not a horror fan. But that's both seasons together. The first season is great anime, but without the second season you only see literally half the story. The entire show is so tightly scripted, the reveals perfectly paced, and structurally sound, plus the great animation and acting (sub), that it would be a crime for Funi not to release a dub of the second series. It would literally be the same as if only half of Evangelion had been released.

For those who haven't watched or Googled, the two seasons are based on a visual novel/game series. The first season is the "problems" arcs covering four of the game releases, while the second season is the "solutions" arcs, again from later game releases. I believe the series animated 8 of the games. The point being that the studio stayed very close to the source material and planned the show to be the two seasons to do the story justice.

As someone mentioned, I was glued to the screen from the amazing OP right through to the end of season two. I've already watched all of it twice (this is the best ever weekend marathon show, IMHO), and am just waiting to complete the first season DVDs to watch again. If I knew Funi was releasing season two, I think I would even wait for those to release. It's such a pleasure to watch, I don't want to prematurely wear it out, though I suspect the re-watch value will certainly surpass single digits.
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DFBTG



Joined: 02 Sep 2007
Posts: 385
Location: Hell
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 3:17 pm Reply with quote
Good, now that the whole series is finally out, I only have to wait a year longer for a boxset. Hopefully by then I'll have some plenty of extra cash. Really did enjoy this series, though I was heavily disappointed with the second season. Spread too little out too long. If they halved the second season's episode count, then I probably would have enjoyed it, but...enough complaining, though. When They Cry is a great, bloody, confusing (in a good way) series that should be watched by all with the stomach for it.
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Kruszer



Joined: 19 Nov 2004
Posts: 7994
Location: Minnesota, USA
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 4:36 pm Reply with quote
This is also the perfect series to marithon today....well if you're bitter and single that is. Laughing
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giascle



Joined: 09 Sep 2008
Posts: 157
Location: Denver
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:44 pm Reply with quote
"Rin"?
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Steel Angel



Joined: 19 Aug 2004
Posts: 274
Location: Texas
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 6:51 pm Reply with quote
A great series, provided the whole, "You die, he dies, she dies, everybody dies" (bonus if you know what show that references) theme, and generally graphically at that, isn't something that would bother you. Not a show for the squeamish.

However, it's plot and mysteries that slowly unfold during the first season, are worth the watch. Add my name to the list that wants to see the 2nd season brought over, cause it will be bought with out fail, should we see a R1 release. (Besides, I already own the first, the second season would be good to round it out.)
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K.o.R



Joined: 31 Mar 2005
Posts: 223
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 7:02 pm Reply with quote
I would definitely recommend going back to season 1 after watching season 2 and see how many plot points were oh-so-subtly foreshadowed.

I hope that we can get some of the bonus episodes together with season 2 (e.g., Nekogoroshi-hen).

On a packaging note, as much as I like FUNimation's thinpack sets, I'd really like to see this as a full-size set so that the two seasons match - whether this means starting as singles or not is fine either way.
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Shockz0rz



Joined: 11 Dec 2008
Posts: 10
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:06 pm Reply with quote
Excellent, good to see Higurashi is getting a warm reception. I hope that Kai gets licensed as well; it'd be a shame for everyone who saw the first season by more...legitimate means to be left in the dark. Might be a bit of a disappointment for people expecting more CUTE GIRLS KILLING PEOPLE, but the way the mystery is resolved is awesome.

One thing that bugs me a bit, though, is the title. The original Japanese name is "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni", best translated as "When the Higurashi Cry." (Since there's no specific English name for the higurashi, a better/simpler translation might simply be "When the Cicadas Cry".) Now, I've read...somewhere...that Geneon made the English title simply "When They Cry" at the request of the creators of the original visual novel. I don't know if this is true, but either way, that's gonna make it really confusing if the next series, "Umineko no Naku Koro ni" ("When the Seagulls Cry") ever gets an English release.

I've been playing the Umineko VN, and interestingly enough, it does have "When They Cry 3" as a subtitle. (I guess Higurashi Kai was WTC2?...wow, that's a REALLY unfortunate acronym.) But if it's released as simply "When They Cry 3" over here, people are going to be expecting The Further Adventures Of Keiichi And Friends In Hinamizawa...and, well, Umineko has a completely unrelated plot, setting, and cast of characters. That might not end well.
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Ryusui



Joined: 22 Jun 2004
Posts: 463
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 8:28 pm Reply with quote
If I'm looking at the box art correctly, the original "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni" title appears at the bottom of the logo, almost like a subtitle.

So it wouldn't be a stretch to think of them as...

When They Cry: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
When They Cry 2: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai
When They Cry 3: Umineko no Naku Koro ni


It's a shame the games will likely never see a Western release; from what I understand, they explain the story more fully than the anime. (Oh, I don't doubt there's probably a publisher or two who'd be interested - Atlus springs immediately to mind - but Sony would sooner go on its own murderous rampage than allow it to happen.)
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kefkaownsall



Joined: 05 Jul 2008
Posts: 189
PostPosted: Sat Feb 14, 2009 9:25 pm Reply with quote
Ryusui wrote:
If I'm looking at the box art correctly, the original "Higurashi no Naku Koro ni" title appears at the bottom of the logo, almost like a subtitle.

So it wouldn't be a stretch to think of them as...

When They Cry: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni
When They Cry 2: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai
When They Cry 3: Umineko no Naku Koro ni


It's a shame the games will likely never see a Western release; from what I understand, they explain the story more fully than the anime. (Oh, I don't doubt there's probably a publisher or two who'd be interested - Atlus springs immediately to mind - but Sony would sooner go on its own murderous rampage than allow it to happen.)

I think most fan translations have not done the entire series. But WTC3 has a fangroup and a legit (for now) version(the company lets you download the game.)
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