While MangaGamer have previously offered all eight original chapters of 07th Expansion’s sound novel series Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (Localised as Higurashi When They Cry), they are currently in the process of revisiting each chapter individually. With each chapter receiving a standalone “Hou” edition, those willing to wait for these re-releases can experience the game with new character portraits (Both new and classic), re-translated text (Both English and Japanese), original music (Uncut) and multi-OS support.
To date, MangaGamer have published the first three arcs: Onikakushi, Watanagashi and Tatarigoroshi. Each chapter follows a tragic tale involving Keiichi Maebara and his school friends, where their normal country lives are torn apart following the annual Watanagashi Festival – which always leads to one person being killed and another vanishing.
MangaGamer have released the fourth arc, known as “Higurashi When They Cry Hou – Ch 4 Himatsubushi“. This is the fourth chapter in “Question Arc” quadrilogy, which leaves readers with many questions before beginning to answer them in the “Answer Arcs”. In this chapter, readers are taken back to many years before the events of other chapters – back to the time of the Hinamizawa Dam protests. This time, a boy is kidnapped – the son of one the dam leaders. A young detective visits Hinamizawa to track down the kidnapped child, but why do things seem off? What could Rika possibly want from this man in the distant past?
Higurashi When They Cry Hou – Ch 4 Himatsubushi can now be ordered via the official MangaGamer Online store for $5.95. If you are brand new to the “Hou” installments and wish to purchase all four Question Arcs at once, they are also offering a collection for $24.95.
