Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei: Hoshiwatashi-hen

The 'Second' instalment of Higurashi Rei is a massive step up in terms of characters, plot, and my general interest in it. Before anything, I just want to give this credit for how accurately it depicts its characters. Specifically, Keitarou (Based), and just the cast in general, act exactly how I imagine myself and others would act in their incredibly specific situations, which is no small feat to pull off. Congrats. Onto the actual review. The people of Hinamizawa and Polaris can be viewed as two sides of the same coin, stuck together, yet so completely different that you can't tell. Oniokoshi-hen showed us the viewpoints of thepeople of Hinamizawa, with their biased perspective, Hoshiwatashi showed us the viewpoint of the people of Polaris, with an equally biased perspective. However, now that we've seen the perspective of both sides, it's easy - and even encouraged - to take a neutral perspective on their situation. This is the pinnacle of clever writing, as far as I'm concerned, and an incredibly rewarding experience. Polaris itself was incredibly interesting and dynamic, showing us how these domestic abuse victims, a detail which was omitted in Oniokoshi, cope with their past and live together in their own cornered-off society. The culture and characters of Polaris were developed, similarly to Hinamizawa, except with this, it's completely new territory, meaning that it's being kept fresh and interesting just by existing. This is almost everything I could've wanted out of a Higurashi sequel. My only complaint is that it's too short. I wish I could've spent more time experiencing Polaris and Keitarou's friends' opposition to them. Unfortunately, it does feel slightly rushed, which is why it's not a 10/10. Although its fast pace hardly got in the way of my enjoyment and appreciation.