[Horror Summer 2018] Like Higurashi no Naku koro ni? Watch This!

11:00 AM October 1, 2018

Anime Recommendations [Article Category]
Horror Anime [Genres]
Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (Higurashi: When They Cry), Happy Sugar Life, Satsuriku no Tenshi (Angels of Death) [Anime Title]

Nagareboshi

Happy-Sugar-Life-dvd-225x350 [Horror Summer 2018] Like Higurashi no Naku koro ni? Watch This!

Just about everyone who enjoys horror or suspense anime knows of Higurashi no Naku koro ni aka the death game you will never escape from. Killing after killing, the characters are just trying to live and enjoy their fragile happiness before whatever deity it is that controls this, sends a bowling ball crashing through it. Fragile as it may be, it oddly has it’s warm moments sandwiched between thick slices of horror. If you are looking for more anime like it that are recent, then we have got you covered.

Liked Higurashi no Naku koro ni (When They Cry)? Watch Happy Sugar Life!

Episodes: 12
Aired: July 2018 - September 2018

Satou Matsuzaka is a girl in pursuit of love. She has never known it before in her life, so when she meets Shio for the first time, she learns what love is. Sweet and filling, Satou feels fulfilled. She knows thought that this won't last forever. So, in order to extend it as long as possible and preserve her happy life, she is willing to do anything to keep this feeling of happiness. That means that anything and everything goes including blackmail, lying, committing crime, and even murder. Note: Watch out for Episode 9.

Major Similarities Between Higurashi no Naku koro ni (When They Cry)? and Happy Sugar Life

1. It’s a Thrill From the Get Go.

The great thing about Happy Sugar Life is that while the OP may be deceiving, it hits the ground running. We immediately learn that Satou is hiding Shio, she has killed someone to have access to the apartment that she does, and there is a switch that can flip inside her making her into a monster. We do not get the whole story, but only end results, and have to watch on in order to find out what has happened. The same is true for Higurashi which starts out okay, but you know it’s horror going into it and the initial warning flags from Rena are all we need to know that something seedy is going on.

2. All the Murder!

Something Higurashi does painfully well, is its depiction of murder and torture. While Happy Sugar Life will not drive it home until a certain point, when it does, it’s gruesome. Not to mention too, whenever we think something good is about to happen, it never does and it twists and twists. Then there is the web of lies in both series that characters have to tell only gets more complicated as time goes on.

Liked Higurashi no Naku koro ni (When They Cry)? Watch Satsuriku no Tenshi (Angels of Death)!

Episodes: 16
Aired: July 2018 - October 2018

Satsuriku no Tenshi is based on a very successful horror game of the same name. 13-year-old Rachel wakes up in a building where she has no idea why she is there nor anything other than her name. Memories gone, she just wants to get out. Then she meets a boy in bandages with a scythe named Zack. He wants to kill her, but she wants to get out before she dies. So, she makes him a deal: if he can get her out, then he can kill her. Simple enough right? Well, as they journey towards the surface, the floor guardians are going to try and stop them… buy killing them!

Major Similarities Between Higurashi no Naku koro ni (When They Cry) and Satsuriku no Tenshi (Angels of Death)

1. Dark Environments

While Satsuriku might not be the greatest horror anime there ever was, it does do plenty right. It doubles down on everything dark as possible in order to hype up it’s creepiness. Something Higurashi does through story-building, Satsuriku no Tenshi does through it’s art. It is a good watch visually and works hard to keep up the horror aspect for as long as it can throughout the series.

2. Death at Every Turn

Much like with the main character of each story arc in Higurashi, Rachel and Zack do not have an easy time getting out. Death is watching constantly and ready to strike in the form of the floor guardians. Where Higurashi usually shows you who is doing the killing, you know quite clearly who is going to try to kill the pair next. Not only that, but when they take down an adversary, that foe is dead and isn’t coming back unlike in Higurashi. Still though, if they are not careful, they may only scrape by a bit worse off. It’s not easy when it’s kill or be killed!

Final Thoughts

With that, our article comes to a close. We are not saying that these shows are 100% copies of Higurashi, but they are similar enough that fans will be able to enjoy the summer series presented. They are not for everyone, but many an anime fan will enjoy the two new series presented. What do you think? Are there any more points that you would bring up? Be sure to let us know down below. Till next time!

Editor/Translator

Author: Nagareboshi

American by birth; international by choice. I am trying to bring attention to one of my favorite causes; me. I translate by day and write by night. Aspiring polyglot. My dream would be to be the personal translator for Amuro Namie. Other than that, my hobbies include languages, weightlifting, sleeping, karaoke, GOOD coffee and music. When I’m not doing any of the above, I am most likely laughing hysterically at Willam Belli videos or EV farming. I ain’t gunna Rupologize for it neither. Waifu are Shirai Kuroko & Euaerin.

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