The hit anime series Higurashi, also referred to as When They Cry, is notorious for having brutal and complex story arcs that add to the overarching narrative and help audiences slowly solve the mystery behind the strange town and characters.
Higurashi's arcs are incredibly dark, and they only get worse in terms of brutality & horror as the series goes on. There are six arcs in the first season of the original anime that was released in 2006, and three in season two that was released in 2007. Both seasons of the anime are based on the original visual novel series that started the franchise, as it became somewhat of a horror cult classic with all of its brutal murder and torture scenes that are truly horrifying.
9 Matsuribayashi-Hen
Though this arc is the last in the series, it is the least impressive from the original anime series. Matsuribayashi-Hen takes place in Kai, from episodes 14 to 24. This arc is the big conclusion and "answer arc" to the entire series. Matsuribayashi-Hen manages to cover all the unanswered questions viewers might still have up until this point. It also features all of the main characters together as the arc slowly and finally uncovers the truth of what happened to Satoshi a year prior. Matsuribayashi-Hen ends with a seemingly happy ending that explains that with one small fix, each of them can be happy.
8 Minagoroshi-Hen
This arc mostly follows Rika as it continues to uncover the mystery of what is really going on. Minagoroshi-Hen is the second to last arc of the series and therefore has a lot going on as it leads to the grand finale. Kai episodes 6 to 13 cover arc. This arc undoes the events of Watanagashi-Hen and Meakashi-Hen as Keiichi gave a stuffed toy that he won to Mion instead of giving it to Rena like he did in the other timeline. This caused those two events to disappear and ended up saving Satoko's life. This arc also heavily deals with the alternate realities of the curse and introduces the goddess, Reyna, who is aiding Rika, in her physical form.
7 Himatsubushi-Hen
Himatsubushi-Hen takes place five years before the start of the series and is used to answer a few questions audiences may have had about the past of Hinamizawa and Rika. This arc is the first to not be told from Keiichi's perspective at all and it takes place during episodes 14 and 15 in season one.
These two episodes follow Akasaka Mamoru, an investigator from Tokyo who ends up getting tangled in the messy tragedy of the town. He befriends Rika as she shows him around town, introducing him to different people, and predicting the deaths of others. Rika's deathly ravings are truly horrifying, especially when some of them start coming true.
6 Yakusamashi-Hen
Yakusamashi-Hen was actually an anime-only arc that was requested by Ryukishi07 to be placed at the beginning of Kai in order to better explain events that were covered in the visual novel but not the anime. This arc is the first in Kai and runs for the first five episodes. Yakusamashi-Hen mostly focuses on Satoko and is told from her perspective as she grows more and more worried about Rika's strange behavior. This arc tries to neatly wrap up some of the major events that were missing during the earlier storylines while still explaining the overall plot that is slowly unfolding. Yakusamashi-Hen also focuses on Rika commenting on her own murder with Hanyu, who is still invisible at this time.
5 Tsumihoroboshi-hen
Tsumihoroboshi-hen is the final arc in the first season and actually follows a retelling of the first arc, Onikakushi-hen, but with a pretty elaborate twist that changes the fate for all of the characters. This arc dives deeper into Rena's past and shows that she has actually been infected by the Hinamizawa Syndrome, which drives her to kill her step-mother and Teppei, Satoko's abusive uncle. Her friends witness her trying to hide the bodies, but instead of questioning her, they help her. Rena's trust in them and her misdeeds slowly eat her alive and she comes closer & closer to succumbing to the illness, before coming back to her senses in the midst of a fight against Keiichi.
4 Meakashi-Hen
Meakashi-hen is a follow up to the second arc of the series, Watanagashi-Hen, which follows Mion's identical twin sister, Shion. This arc makes Mion and Shion's dynamic even more confusing as it turns out the two sisters had switched roles the entire time, going back and forth and having different names originally.
It is also revealed that Shion had a psychotic break-down after the disappearance of Satoshi, who she was super in love with. While this arc is great, it also gets a bit confusing with all the different reveals and back and forth with the twins.
3 Tatarigoroshi-Hen
Tatarigoroshi-Hen was pretty brutal to many viewers as it dealt a lot with physical and mental abuse from Satoko's uncle, Teppei against the extremely adorable and kind-hearted girl. The uncle is pure scum and makes viewers almost happy when Keiichi reaches his breaking point, killing him in the forest the night of the festival and hiding his body.
But when Teppei appears again, totally unhurt, things get a bit weird as the arc dives deeper into the mythology and lore of the town. This arc also is the first in the series to follow both Keiichi and Satoko's perspectives as it finally begins to reveal just a little bit more about Satoshi's disappearance.
2 Onikakushi-Hen
The Onikakushi-Hen arc is the very first in the series and is what lured so many fans into this complex psychological thriller. This arc takes place over the first four episodes as it introduces each of the main characters and the mystery surrounding the new town. Keiichi has been in Hinamizawa for only a short time, but he feels like the friends he has made have been his friends for life. The anime starts as a totally happy and pleasant series, but quickly divulges into mystery as Keiichi tries to uncover the truth behind a murder that took place in the past.
1 Watanagashi-Hen
Watanagashi-Hen is the most brutal arc in the series as it has some of the most intense torture and death scenes. This is also the second arc of the show and introduces a few new characters, like Shion who is a vital player in the story, and Mion's twin sister. This arc has a lot of mystery and twists and turns that are further explored and explained in Meakashi-Hen. Watanagashi-Hen is sure to make more than a few viewers cringe in their seats.