Kadokawa has officially announced that a new television anime based on the Higurashi: When They Cry franchise is in production. The announcement was made during a live-streamed 20th-anniversary special for the series. Studio DEEN, which animated the original 2006 series, is returning to handle animation duties for this latest installment. The new anime will feature a returning cast, including Sōichirō Hoshi as Keiichi Maebara, Mai Nakahara as Rena Ryūgū, Satsuki Yukino as Mion and Shion Sonozaki, Mika Kanai as Satoko Hōjō, and Yukari Tamura as Rika Furude.
A new visual accompanying the announcement bears the tagline "Welcome back, everyone." The Higurashi: When They Cry franchise originated as a visual novel series by 07th Expansion, with its first chapter released in 2002. The story centers on a series of murders occurring in a rural village coinciding with an annual festival.
The franchise has seen multiple anime adaptations. The first series aired in 2006, followed by a second season in 2007. More recently, Higurashi: When They Cry – GOU premiered in October 2020, with its follow-up, Higurashi: When They Cry – SOTSU, airing in July 2021. The original visual novel series itself is noted for its complex narrative structure and has garnered a significant following, reflected in its 7.21 score on MyAnimeList from over 100,000 voters.
Source: Press release(https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-06-21/higurashi-when-the-cry-franchise-gets-new-tv-anime/.238764)
