Higurashi: When They Cry Franchise Gets New TV Anime From Studio DEEN
The return of Studio DEEN and the original voice cast signals a deliberate effort to reconnect with the franchise's roots, rather than continuing the 2020-2021 revival's divergent narrative.
Reporting from 2 sources: Anime News Network, Anime Corner.
Kadokawa announced during a live-streamed 20th anniversary special for the Higurashi: When They Cry television anime on Sunday that a new TV anime project is in production. Studio DEEN, which handled the original 2006 adaptation and its 2007 sequel, will return to animate the series. The announcement included a teaser promotional video and a visual with the tagline "Welcome back, everyone." The returning cast includes Soichiro Hoshi as Keiichi Maebara, Mai Nakahara as Rena Ryugu, Satsuki Yukino as Mion and Shion Sonozaki, Mika Kanai as Satoko Hojo, and Yukari Tamura as Rika Furude. The project is based on Ryukishi07 and 07th Expansion's original visual novel, which began in 2002. The franchise previously received a 2020-2021 anime revival series, but the new project marks a return to the original studio and cast.
The new project was announced during a live-streamed 20th anniversary special for the original television anime on Sunday. The teaser promotional video and visual carry the tagline "Everyone, welcome back," according to Anime Corner.
Ryukishi07 and 07th Expansion first launched the visual novel series at Comiket in 2002. The story is set in the quiet rural village of Hinamizawa in the early 1980s, where a group of friends becomes entangled in cycles of paranoia, violence, and supernatural mystery tied to an annual festival and a local curse. The first anime adaptation aired for 26 episodes in 2006, followed by the 24-episode When They Cry II: Solutions in 2007.
The franchise previously received a 2020-2021 revival series from a different studio, but the new project marks a deliberate return to the original production team. The teaser visual and video were released through the official Higurashi website. The production committee is credited as ©2026 Ryukishi07 / Higurashi: When They Cry Production Committee.
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.
Sources
- Anime News Network News Higurashi: When They Cry Franchise Gets New TV Anime
- Anime Corner Higurashi When They Cry New TV Anime by Studio DEEN Announced