Higurashi Doujinshi and Comics

The first anime series, produced by Studio Deen and directed by Chiaki Kon, covers the four question arcs as well as the first two answer arcs. The original Higurashi no Naku Koro ni anime adaptation aired in Japan between April 4 and September 26, 2006, comprising twenty-six episodes. In Japan, most of the characters were voiced by the same voice actors that voiced their respective characters in the drama CD series. The series is available on DVD in Japan, France, and North America (following Geneon Entertainment's licensing of the series). However, in September 2007, Geneon's U.S. division announced that it would discontinue all ongoing anime projects, including Higurashi, effective November 6, 2007. Only three of a planned six DVDs of Higurashi were released, under the title When They Cry: Higurashi. On July 3, 2008, Geneon and Funimation Entertainment announced an agreement to distribute select titles in North America. While Geneon still retains the license, Funimation assumes exclusive rights to the manufacturing, marketing, sales and distribution of select titles. Higurashi was one of several titles involved in the deal. Funimation released a complete box set of the series in August 2009.

People in Japan who had bought all nine of the DVDs of the first season had the chance to receive a special anime DVD entitled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Gaiden Nekogoroshi-hen, based on the short story that was given to those who had bought the manga. Despite being a bonus for the first season (and having the first season's opening and closing sequences), Nekogoroshi-hen featured the updated animation style as seen in the second season.

A continuation of the series, based on one new story arc and the final two original answer arcs of the franchise, entitled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai, aired in Japan between July 6 and December 17, 2007, containing twenty-four episodes. The second season featured different character designs than the first season. As the result of a murder case in September 2007 in Japan involving the murder of a police chief by his sixteen-year-old daughter with a hatchet, as well as the Japanese media relating the case to anime such as Higurashi, the latest episode screenings of both Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai and another anime, School Days, were canceled by a number of Japanese TV stations; however, AT-X, TV Saitama and Sun TV announced that they would be airing the episodes as planned. Later, TV Saitama announced that they had ceased broadcasting of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai from episode thirteen onwards. Additionally, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai had its opening altered when it re-aired. Originally, a bloody bill hook cleaver (as used by Rena) was shown halfway through (at timestamp 0:55) the opening; it was replaced with an image of a van from the series' fictional junk yard.

A three-arc, five-episode original video animation series, entitled Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei, began to be released on February 25, 2009, and is directed by Toshifumi Kawase. The OVA series also started a limited broadcasting in Bandai Channel prior to DVD release. The OVA contains three story arcs, Hajisarashi-hen, Saikoroshi-hen, and Hirukowashi-hen, with Saikoroshi-hen concluding in three episodes, and the other two arcs concluding in one episode each. Hajisarashi-hen was originally a light novel included with the limited edition of the PlayStation 2 game Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Matsuri, and took the place of Batsukoishi-hen from the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Rei fandisc. Frontier Works announced another original video anime series, Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kira, in March 2011, which marks the tenth anniversary of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni.

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