Higurashi: When They Cry Kai Free Nico Nico Live Broadcast Set for June 20-21
The annual broadcast has become a fixture of Nico Nico's early summer schedule, and the comment data shows how a 2006-2007 series continues to generate real-time audience engagement nearly two decades later.
Reporting from 2 sources: Denfaminicogamer, Anime Anime.
Dwango announced the annual free all-at-once broadcast of the TV anime "Higurashi: When They Cry Kai" on Niconico Live, scheduled for June 20-21, 2026. The event coincides with "Watanagashi Day" (the third or fourth Sunday of June), a date significant to the story. This year marks the seventh iteration of the tradition, which began in 2019. The first season, "Higurashi: When They Cry," aired on June 13-14. Alongside the broadcast, Dwango released the "Top 5 Most Commented Scenes" from the 2025 broadcasts. For the first season, the most commented scene was Shion torturing Satoko in episode 21, followed by Shion screaming "Praise me, Satoshi-kun" in the same episode. For the sequel, the opening scene of the final episode (episode 24) took first place, also recording the highest comment count across both series. The broadcast is free and does not require membership registration.
Dwango released the full "Top 5 Most Commented Scenes" rankings for both seasons, drawn from viewer comments during the June 2025 broadcasts. The rankings show how Nico Nico's live comment culture shapes the viewing experience, with viewers posting quips, misheard lyric jokes, and applause marks alongside the on-screen action.
For the first season, three of the top five scenes come from episode 21. The most commented scene, Shion torturing Satoko, drew reactions like "scary" and "can't watch" but also jokes directed at Shion as she mentally collapses, such as "What's so funny?" and "Now of all times?" The second-place scene, Shion screaming "Praise me, Satoshi-kun," was covered with familiar misheard lyric bullet comments. Third place went to Satoko having her head patted and recalling trauma in episode 23, prompting worried comments like "Stop it" and "It hurts..." Fourth place was Rena's sudden voice change through the intercom in episode 4, with viewers posting "That's a lie!!" and "Don't open it." Fifth place was Shion realizing her revenge motive was a misunderstanding and despairing in episode 21, with comments like "Landmine" and "It's over..." directed at the Sonozaki family head Kiichiro.
For "Kai," all five top scenes come from the final two episodes. The opening scene of episode 24 took first place, also recording the highest comment count across both series; the screen was covered with misheard lyric bullet comments for the song "Naraku no Hana" and the "Tommy's camera" net meme. Third place was the same opening scene again, with comments for the "Teppei's escape" meme. Second place was the moment the ending song ends and the story closes, filled with applause ("888888") and comments like "A masterpiece no matter how many times I watch it" and "See you next year!" Fourth place was the arrival of July 1, Showa 58, with viewers posting "It's July!" and "Congratulations." Fifth place was Akasaka rushing to rescue Rika in episode 22, drawing excited comments like "Akasaka is here!" and "Too cool."
Synthesized by Yomimono from the 2 cited sources below, including Japanese-language reporting where cited, then editorially reviewed before publishing.