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Higurashi When They Cry Manga Japanese Numbering #3
Higurashi When They Cry: Cotton Drifting Arc, Vol. 1
You've already met Keiichi Maebara and his mischievous friends in the Abducted by Demons Arc. But Oyashiro-sama's curse is poised to strike anew in Hinamizawa village. When Keiichi spots tomboy Mion working at a maid café, he can hardly believe his eyes! But it's not Mion after all - it's her identical twin sister, Shion. Keiichi's never heard of this "twin sister" before and suspects it's just another one of Mion's pranks. But through Shion, Keiichi is able to see a quieter, more feminine side of his best friend, even if it is all an act. As Keiichi spends more time with Shion, however, Rena grows more accusatory...
198 pages, Paperback
First published December 22, 2005
18 people are currently reading
333 people want to read
About the author
Ryukishi07
299 books319 followersRyukishi07 (竜騎士07, Ryūkishi Zero Nana?, born November 19, 1973) is the pen name of a Japanese man originally from Chiba Prefecture who is well-known as the original creator for the idea of the visual novel series Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and Umineko no Naku Koro ni. He is the representative member of the group 07th Expansion. His pen name originated from the Final Fantasy series, "Ryūkishi" being the Japanese term for "Dragoon", and "07" goroawase for the name "Lenna". His illustration style is recognizable from the large hands he draws on people.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews
March 15, 2017
Listening to the soundtrack while I read this really gives it a more sinister feeling, like the show.
Dang it, I want to watch the anime again now.
Dang it, I want to watch the anime again now.
January 12, 2023
It is time for a new Arc in the Higurashi series, this time to Cotton Drifting Arc.
I just love re-reading Higurashi again, and this time during Halloween. Just perfection! In this one the stage is being set for the big finale and action and horror in the next one. We get clear hints something is wrong with strange eyes, strange behaviour and other things. We see that things aren’t always so cute and sweet in this town and its neighbouring town (which I loved to see again).
We also learn about Mion’s sister, Shion. Yes, I was so hyped that this Arc is about the twins. I had quite a lot of fun seeing how Keiichi got confused and how he didn’t believe Shion was Shion until he also met Mion. That moment just had me in stitches. Now he had to believe. But then still the question remains… who is the to say Shion is Shion and who is the say Mion is Mion? 😛 Yep, I keep it confusing as that is also what this book was doing. Calling Mion/Shion with “Mion” or “Shion”. I get that Keiichi wasn’t believing it, and I can imagine, but still it got quite a bit confusing for my mind.
I love the twins, while I am not always a fan of tomboy Mion (or is it Shion) because of how she acts and her perverted things, I do love the elegant (but also quite without shame) Shion (or is it Mion). Hehe, I love writing this. Make it all the more confusing for everyone.
Keiichi has a lot to learn about girls. Just because we act like a guy or act tough doesn’t mean we don’t like cute things. I hope he learned a lesson, and otherwise I am sure Rena can teach him, kukukuku. 😛
We learn a few more things about the Dam accident that we also learned in the previous arc. I just love how different each Arc is but how they got the base details the same. We even see the mention of the sewing needle in the food from the first Arc.
I loved seeing the characters bond and become more and more friendly, though I felt for Keiichi as he always pulled the short stick in the games. Poor guy, always stuck with penalty games. Or it turns into a penalty game because he gets cocky. You would think he learns. But no. 😛
The volume ends just as the festival is coming to a climax. I cannot wait to read about it and see how things go from there. It has been 8 years so a lot of details have escaped my mind. I am preparing my stomach because I know things will get gorier with each volume.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
I just love re-reading Higurashi again, and this time during Halloween. Just perfection! In this one the stage is being set for the big finale and action and horror in the next one. We get clear hints something is wrong with strange eyes, strange behaviour and other things. We see that things aren’t always so cute and sweet in this town and its neighbouring town (which I loved to see again).
We also learn about Mion’s sister, Shion. Yes, I was so hyped that this Arc is about the twins. I had quite a lot of fun seeing how Keiichi got confused and how he didn’t believe Shion was Shion until he also met Mion. That moment just had me in stitches. Now he had to believe. But then still the question remains… who is the to say Shion is Shion and who is the say Mion is Mion? 😛 Yep, I keep it confusing as that is also what this book was doing. Calling Mion/Shion with “Mion” or “Shion”. I get that Keiichi wasn’t believing it, and I can imagine, but still it got quite a bit confusing for my mind.
I love the twins, while I am not always a fan of tomboy Mion (or is it Shion) because of how she acts and her perverted things, I do love the elegant (but also quite without shame) Shion (or is it Mion). Hehe, I love writing this. Make it all the more confusing for everyone.
Keiichi has a lot to learn about girls. Just because we act like a guy or act tough doesn’t mean we don’t like cute things. I hope he learned a lesson, and otherwise I am sure Rena can teach him, kukukuku. 😛
We learn a few more things about the Dam accident that we also learned in the previous arc. I just love how different each Arc is but how they got the base details the same. We even see the mention of the sewing needle in the food from the first Arc.
I loved seeing the characters bond and become more and more friendly, though I felt for Keiichi as he always pulled the short stick in the games. Poor guy, always stuck with penalty games. Or it turns into a penalty game because he gets cocky. You would think he learns. But no. 😛
The volume ends just as the festival is coming to a climax. I cannot wait to read about it and see how things go from there. It has been 8 years so a lot of details have escaped my mind. I am preparing my stomach because I know things will get gorier with each volume.
Review first posted at https://twirlingbookprincess.com/
July 12, 2016
So we have a new character: Mion's twin sis Shion. With this one we have a new arc and the other characters returning. Of course its short lived charming-ness has to end and the creepy tone returns. This series is really weird and creepy and I want to keep reading. This series is just that. And I kind of like Shion but Mion's awesome too. And what's with anime, manga and maid uniforms?
October 25, 2020
Keiichi is a relatively new arrival to the peaceful village of Hanamizawa. He... okay, we’ve been here before. But it’s a little different this time around. That said, the more things change in Hanamizawa, the more they stay the same... and no matter what’s on the outside, what’s lurking deep inside is very, very sinister...
This series still knows how to juxtapose the mundane with the creepy and the obvious with the opaque. We spend quite a bit of time getting in the mindset of the village here and there’s a very eerie crowd scene with a ‘one of us’ mentality that’s probably the shiveriest moment in this volume.
I like that there are still no straightforward answers. What is the connection between this version of events and the other one? Is one a dream? Does history keep repeating? Alternate universes?
The fact that Keiichi keeps getting déjà vu certainly implies one over the other and it’s pretty clever how the repeated sentiment he has of wishing these days would last forever becomes less wistful and more tragic as things develop.
Whatever is going on, it’s a good way to reintroduce familiar faces and offer up new facets to them while we see where things have changed. I don’t know that the Shion/Mion twin scenario works that well, but it’s certainly used in some interesting ways, especially what it says about Mion’s ability to express herself.
The biggest failing here is that it leans way more into the lecherous sex goofery of its era than the previous volume did. The author admits this probably has the most romantic angling of the arcs, which is fine, but the portrayal goes to some really cringe-worthy places at times.
3 stars. It’s very good when it’s very good, but it doesn’t do what its predecessor did so very well. It builds on what came before, but at the same time fails to capitalize on it. I’m still invested; I just wish this did more with what it had to work with.
This series still knows how to juxtapose the mundane with the creepy and the obvious with the opaque. We spend quite a bit of time getting in the mindset of the village here and there’s a very eerie crowd scene with a ‘one of us’ mentality that’s probably the shiveriest moment in this volume.
I like that there are still no straightforward answers. What is the connection between this version of events and the other one? Is one a dream? Does history keep repeating? Alternate universes?
The fact that Keiichi keeps getting déjà vu certainly implies one over the other and it’s pretty clever how the repeated sentiment he has of wishing these days would last forever becomes less wistful and more tragic as things develop.
Whatever is going on, it’s a good way to reintroduce familiar faces and offer up new facets to them while we see where things have changed. I don’t know that the Shion/Mion twin scenario works that well, but it’s certainly used in some interesting ways, especially what it says about Mion’s ability to express herself.
The biggest failing here is that it leans way more into the lecherous sex goofery of its era than the previous volume did. The author admits this probably has the most romantic angling of the arcs, which is fine, but the portrayal goes to some really cringe-worthy places at times.
3 stars. It’s very good when it’s very good, but it doesn’t do what its predecessor did so very well. It builds on what came before, but at the same time fails to capitalize on it. I’m still invested; I just wish this did more with what it had to work with.
June 7, 2022
Ahh my favorite question arc begins as the mystery of the overall plot continues. We are also introduced to Shion and things seems light and normal… at first anyway.
October 12, 2025
they’re so ugly i hate them
November 27, 2025
Angel Mort to jest chyba największa skaza tej serii, ale zdążyłam sobie przypomnieć, jak lubię ten arc.
October 29, 2010
I have to say, I've been waiting for this manga for a very long time. I'd heard about this series a few years ago before it was released into the US & hoped that eventually someone would bring us the whole Higurashi line- the manga, anime & the games that started it all. While we didn't get the games (yet), we do have the other two.
This arc starts off with the appearance that the previous arc's events seemingly never happened. Keiichi & the gang are enjoying their idyllic lifestyle in the village of Hinamizawa. With the cotton drifting festival on the horizon, the gang spends their time playing games at one of the local hobby stores & goofing off. It isn't until Keiichi meets Mion's twin sister Shion that events begin to visibly change & warp.
I love how this series is so well plotted out. Part of the series's charm is how it keeps you guessing at the why & wherefore of the plotline. I honestly can't wait for the answer arc to come out for this arc. My only complaint with the series has nothing to do with the actual series but is more about how the publishing company is displaying the volumes. It's a pretty superficial complaint, to be honest. The series number order is smaller than the arc number order, which may confuse some readers who could purchase this volume thinking that it's the 2nd volume of the previous plot arc. Like I said, it's a minor complaint so it's not really worth complaining about.
This arc starts off with the appearance that the previous arc's events seemingly never happened. Keiichi & the gang are enjoying their idyllic lifestyle in the village of Hinamizawa. With the cotton drifting festival on the horizon, the gang spends their time playing games at one of the local hobby stores & goofing off. It isn't until Keiichi meets Mion's twin sister Shion that events begin to visibly change & warp.
I love how this series is so well plotted out. Part of the series's charm is how it keeps you guessing at the why & wherefore of the plotline. I honestly can't wait for the answer arc to come out for this arc. My only complaint with the series has nothing to do with the actual series but is more about how the publishing company is displaying the volumes. It's a pretty superficial complaint, to be honest. The series number order is smaller than the arc number order, which may confuse some readers who could purchase this volume thinking that it's the 2nd volume of the previous plot arc. Like I said, it's a minor complaint so it's not really worth complaining about.
January 29, 2025
This volume left me kind of bored. The repetitive fan service along with cafe subplot continued too far into the book (though I can say it helped establish Mion and Shion as a characters).
The horror/mystery element only really makes an appearance in the last chapter, enticing me enough to want to read the next volume.
Overall, not my favourite Higurashi volume so far but still a decent read.
The horror/mystery element only really makes an appearance in the last chapter, enticing me enough to want to read the next volume.
Overall, not my favourite Higurashi volume so far but still a decent read.
November 5, 2015
It was the first horror I read out of all the manga and I became permanently addicted to horror genre afterwards
December 7, 2023
Hm... I think it's really necessary to say that I didn't (and still don't) understand anything that is happening here.
See well... The story of this manga brings back the characters from the previous/last manga, which, for those who have read it, know that the main character (the boy) died along with the two girls/friends at the end. However here in the first book of Cotton Drifting Arc - but also the ''sequel'' of the series from what Goodreads says - they are very much alive and it is as if it is a new version - or a new universe - of the first two books (like the Marvel multiverse you know?!)
If you ask me if it's bad, I'll say no. But ultimately you will end up comparing the two versions and, in my opinion, the first version (Abducted by Demons Arc) is much better. It has more tension and suspense, while this one is simpler and more romantic.
See well... The story of this manga brings back the characters from the previous/last manga, which, for those who have read it, know that the main character (the boy) died along with the two girls/friends at the end. However here in the first book of Cotton Drifting Arc - but also the ''sequel'' of the series from what Goodreads says - they are very much alive and it is as if it is a new version - or a new universe - of the first two books (like the Marvel multiverse you know?!)
If you ask me if it's bad, I'll say no. But ultimately you will end up comparing the two versions and, in my opinion, the first version (Abducted by Demons Arc) is much better. It has more tension and suspense, while this one is simpler and more romantic.
July 31, 2025
7.5/10
I don’t like comparing artists’ works but I must say this new arc is just on a whole nother level visually. The art is really good in this volume, and the composition of the panels and the flow of the story feels better too. A step up from the first arc. As for the story itself not so much tension in this first part but I enjoy just reading about life in Hinamizawa and the characters’ relationships
I don’t like comparing artists’ works but I must say this new arc is just on a whole nother level visually. The art is really good in this volume, and the composition of the panels and the flow of the story feels better too. A step up from the first arc. As for the story itself not so much tension in this first part but I enjoy just reading about life in Hinamizawa and the characters’ relationships
October 10, 2022
The obnoxious fan service does a good job at making you let your guard down.
Hardly anything eventful happened in this volume, in my opinion. It felt like a lot of rushed, weird subplot stuff. Given the events in the previous arc, I can see why it was written the way it was.
Hardly anything eventful happened in this volume, in my opinion. It felt like a lot of rushed, weird subplot stuff. Given the events in the previous arc, I can see why it was written the way it was.
October 23, 2018
I’m really loving this series like right of the bat, this is a freaky great Mystery/Psychological Type manga^.^😁😻😻👌💕💕
August 30, 2019
I always liked this arc because Mion is my favorite character. I am excited to finish it!!
April 24, 2020
My least favorite question arc in manga form was easier and less confusing for me to read. It's still interesting and I do really like Shion.
November 1, 2020
Im getting more and more bored.
Id give it 2 stars, but something is stopping me. Maybe the twist. The twist was funny.
Id give it 2 stars, but something is stopping me. Maybe the twist. The twist was funny.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2021
weebing with Berfin dostumm #5
July 31, 2022
logging this as me finishing episode 2 of the vn
September 7, 2022
+4.5/5
شیون.شیون.شیون ... اون صحنه شیون و میون که ترولی ریوکیشی فقط چنددقیقه همینجوری باید به مانیتور خیره بشی و کیفیت آرک اول داستان حرف نداشت!
شیون.شیون.شیون ... اون صحنه شیون و میون که ترولی ریوکیشی فقط چنددقیقه همینجوری باید به مانیتور خیره بشی و کیفیت آرک اول داستان حرف نداشت!
March 5, 2023
It needs the sound tracks. I presented this manga to my class and they sure were surprised by this.
November 19, 2023
More of a Rom Com than the last arc. I rather like it, and I am going to be a little sad when it takes its inevitable turn to the dark story.
June 5, 2024
mion <3
September 15, 2024
I understand the title of the manga now....
June 6, 2025
it was good but I wish they would have gotten into the mystery and curse faster. it seemed to drag out in my opinion
August 24, 2025
Mainly cute slice-of-life moments. Shion is a good addition.
December 2, 2025
visual novel log--the concept of this series is so cool but man is it just soooooooooooo slow at times, my mc is lowkey chopped, better intro and ending than the first but pretty "eh" middle
Displaying 1 - 30 of 48 reviews