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Rika Furude had always known Hinamizawa as her home, finding comfort in the peaceful mountain village and the company of her friends. However, she longed for something more and wished to share her desire with her best friend, Satoko Houjou. Rika yearned to attend the prestigious St. Lucia Academy, where she could receive a refined education far from their rustic surroundings. Despite initial hesitation, Satoko agreed to take the difficult entrance exams, and they both embarked on a new journey. At St. Lucia Academy, Rika effortlessly adapted to the high-class atmosphere, showcasing her innate elegance and composed demeanor. On the other hand, Satoko struggled to fit in, relying on Rika's support to get by. However, as Rika befriended a sophisticated clique of girls, Satoko's isolation grew, and her academic performance suffered. Their friendship deteriorated until it became irreparable, with Satoko driven to despair by her increasing feelings of loneliness. Succumbing to a dark impulse, she committed an unfathomable act.
In the summer of 1983, Keiichi Maebara and his family leave the noisy city for the tranquil town of Hinamizawa. There, he befriends Satoko Houjou, Rika Furude, Rena Ryuuguu, and Mion Sonozaki, who become his loyal group of friends. As they spend their days enjoying carefree fun, Keiichi gradually realizes that things in Hinamizawa are not what they seem. While attending the Cotton Drifting Festival, Keiichi discovers that the town has been plagued by murders and disappearances in the aftermath of the celebration. The locals attribute it to the "Oyashiro's Curse," which claims that anyone who angers the town's patron god will be cursed with death or disappearance. Initially, Keiichi dismisses it as a scary myth aimed at disciplining naughty children. However, when his friends refuse to speak about the strange occurrences in the village and a murder and disappearance happen after the festival, Keiichi starts to suspect his new friends' involvement in the gruesome events. He fears he may be the next victim of the mysterious vindictive force.
Maebara Keiichi enjoys his days in school, playing games with his local friends, after moving to the peaceful town of Hinamizawa. However, the tranquil environment turns out to be a facade when Keiichi discovers news of a murder that occurred in the town. From that point on, Keiichi's life takes a gruesome turn as he realizes his close friends may not be who they seem to be. The story, based on the amateur mystery game by 7th Expansion, is told through various scenarios. Tsumihoroboshi is the sixth manga in a series that explores different scenarios in the Higurashi games, and the second one that attempts to answer past puzzling questions. Focusing on Ryuuguu Rena's sudden distrust of her friends, the story answers some lingering questions revolving around Furude Rika's mysterious death.
A year ago, Natsumi Kimiyoshi and her family left the mountain settlement of Okinomiya, which was haunted by the local folklore of Oyashiro's curse that befalls those who leave Okinomiya or the adjacent hamlet of Hinamizawa. To their surprise, their life remained calm and peaceful until gas erupted from the swamp beside Hinamizawa, causing numerous deaths. Unfortunately, Natsumi was unaware that the catastrophic "Great Hinamizawa Disaster" would soon lead to many terrifying misfortunes. After the incident, Natsumi's grandmother, who had previously lived in Hinamizawa, began exhibiting extremely suspicious behavior. She believed that Oyashiro's curse was imminent and tried to quell it by placing talismans all over their home and killing puppies. These terrifying and erratic actions caused Natsumi and her family to fear for their safety, leading her mother to commit an unspeakable act.
After breaking the chains of fate and achieving the ultimate world, Rika Furude and her comrades can finally enjoy ordinary lives in Hinamizawa's mountain village. Rika believes her hardships and heartaches are over until she is involved in an accident that proves her wrong. Upon waking up, Rika realizes she's in a different world than the one she knows. This new reality contrasts her original world, with her once loyal friend Satoko Houjou becoming cold towards her, her longtime friend Keiichi Maebara never moving to Hinamizawa, and her parents still alive. Though this world may not be perfect, it still appeals to Rika, leaving her with a tough decision: stay in this new world or return to the world that she struggled to improve.
Despite being a newcomer to Hinamizawa, Keiichi Maebara has already bonded with a tightknit group of friends that includes Satoko Houjou, Rika Furude, Mion Sonozaki, and Rena Ryuuguu. Their after-school club is a happy haven of games and laughter, yet behind the smiles lie hidden sorrows and painful secrets. Curiously, these unsettling events seem eerily familiar. As one astute observer watches in anticipation, they are determined to intervene and avert the tragic outcome they foresee. As preparations for the annual Cotton Drifting Festival gather momentum, a sense of unease gnaws at them. It becomes increasingly apparent that someone within their ranks is manipulating events to ensure a disaster unfolds.
Moving to peaceful Hinamizawa, Keiichi Maebara spends his days happily going to school and playing games with his friends until news of a vicious murder in town disrupts his contentment. As he delves deeper into the mystery, he uncovers unsettling truths about those closest to him. The story draws inspiration from 7th Expansion's amateur mystery game and is told through various scenarios. Himatsubushi, the fourth installment in the Higurashi manga series, explores alternate scenarios of the game. It follows Tokyo police investigator Mamoru Akasaka, who visits Hinamizawa years before the murders occur.
Three students are living fairly normal lives when, one day, they are overcome with intense stomach pain and a star symbol appears like a tatoo on their skin. With the symbol came supernatural powers, as well as enemies coming to kill them. As more and more people develop similar supernatural powers, the story starts to turn into a Battle Royalesque bloody playground, only with an entire city as the setting and many innocents caught in the crossfire. Among other themes, the story asks the question, "When is it alright to kill?" and delves deep into the darkness of the human psyche.
The sun's rays enter the city of light, as various stories unfold: Bright, dark and harsh; a story filled with people from whom you'd want to avert your eyes. Yet, it's close to reality; so maybe it's true to humanity. Like an old bond between a boy and a girl, a friendship is born between girls who rarely speak to each other. A man who dirties his hands for money, and the girlfriend who waits for him to come home.
In this anthology, Kashiwai, an artist and illustrator, modifies noteworthy pieces from Japanese children's literature. The description includes the following stories: - "Yuuhi no Kuni" by Naoko Awa - "Chiisai Yasashii Migite" by Naoko Awa - "Kin no Wa" by Mimei Ogawa - "Kou-chan" by Atsuko Suga - "Hitotsu no Hi" by Nankichi Niimi - "Chuumon no Ooi Ryouriten" by Kenji Miyazawa
The story follows Hikari Shirochi, an ordinary high school boy whose hobbies are games and PC-modding. In the first chapter, mysterious phenomena occur to his body, which conducts static electricity unusually well.
A regular school boy, Hikaru Shindo stumbles upon an old GO board while looking through his grandpa's old storage room for something worth money. From inside the board came an old spirit named Sai who once dedicated his life to GO. Together, Sai continues to search for the move people call "The god's hand" while Hikaru slowly began interest in this ancient game and walks down the road of GO. Hikaru no GO received the Shogakukan Manga Award in 2000 and creators received Tezuka Osamu Cultural Prize in 2003 for the series.