written by Ryukishi07
illustrated by Yutori Houjyou

Every year, during the Cotton Drifting festival in Hinamizawa, mysterious murders occur. One victim is killed, while another vanishes. The children of the village don’t know any better. To them, the festival involves ripping the insides out of a futon and setting the cotton adrift down the river. They are about to learn exactly what the symbolism of the tradition means.
 
This year, Keiichi and his sweetheart Shion get roped into breaking into a sacred shrine with Takano and Tomitake. Inside, they find torture and killing instruments, and Takano shares the history of the town. Hinamizawa village used to be home to man-eating demons. To protect the humans, every year, one person would be sacrificed to satiate the guardian demon Oyashiro-sama.
 
The group thinks they get away with their crime, but when Takano and Tomitake turn up dead the next day, Keiichi’s life starts to spiral out of control. Shion goes missing, followed by any else they’ve told about their actions. Shion’s twin sister, Keiichi’s best friend Mion, starts showing a demonic twist in her personality. Keiichi will have to get to the bottom of his friends’ disappearances before they’re killed, but if he tells anyone else, he risks getting them killed as well. Could it be that Oyashiro is exacting his revenge, or are the twins sharing an ancient, deadly secret?
 
Higurashi: When They Cry can not be judged by its soft-looking, girly, and slightly depressing looking cover and title. It is a complex series of horror tales that have appeared in many formats including video games, manga, novels, drama CDs, and anime. Sometimes the characters remain the same, but continuity might not. Arc consist of “question” and an “answer” stories each of which tell the narrative from a different point of view that allows the reader multiple insights as to what transpired. The Cotton Drifitng Arc Vol. 2 is the second half, or “answer” portion of that particular storyline. In the manga series as a whole, it is the fourth volume. These quasi-split volumes can make it a little difficult to keep track of what order to read them in.
 
The soft, shoujo style artwork is a fascinating juxtaposition to the horror-genre writing. The gentle, child-like appearances of the main characters makes the violence seem all the more gruesome. The mystery is already complex enough to confound the brain, but add to it the innocent imagery and it becomes an unforgettable, thought-provoking combination.
 
This series is rated for older teens, but anyone with a love for mysteries, thrillers, and horror will enjoy these twisted tales. Sometimes, the plot twists can be a little difficult to comprehend at first, but that’s why each story has “answer” arcs to help shed light on the mystery and grant readers even more satisfaction. Higurashi is a very fun read with a satisfying payoff and the kind of stories that will keep audiences enthralled.