History Franchise / WhenTheyCry

* DeathIsCheap : Initially it seems this way, since the GroundhogDayLoop is in effect, [[spoiler:but in both series, it's subverted. The characters may be alive and kicking again at the beginning of each arc, but their selves who died in the previous world are actually dead for good.]]

Compare to Franchise/{{Nasuverse}}, another famous series of visual novels. For two similar series with dark and gruesome stories, see ''Franchise/DanganRonpa'' and ''VideoGame/CorpseParty''.

Independent game developer [=Ryukishi07=] of 07th Expansion wanted to make a visual novel that stuck with people after they played it. For inspiration, he looked to one of the industry's pioneers, Creator/KeyVisualArts. Studying their games, he noticed that they all followed a basic structure. The games began with comedy and introduction of the characters and the basic concepts of the world; then the player got to know the characters; then something tragic happened to [[PlayerPunch make the player cry]] just as they'd gotten to care about the cast, accompanied by revelations of the true nature of the world and what had really been going on the whole time; then the story culminated with a miracle to EarnYourHappyEnding. Ryukishi decided that he wanted to make a game like that, too... but he didn't want to (just) [[{{Utsuge}} make his audience cry]] like Key did.

* '''When They Cry 5: ''[[VisualNovel/CiconiaWhenTheyCry Ciconia no Naku Koro ni]]'' ("When the Storks Cry").

2018 saw to the [[https://twitter.com/07th_official/status/1018148111254896642 announcement]] of ''two'' more installments: A new installment of ''Umineko'', and an entirely new installment of the franchise titled ''[[VisualNovel/CiconiaWhenTheyCry Ciconia no Naku Koro ni]]'' ("When the Storks Cry"), planned for Summer 2019.

2018 saw to the [[https://twitter.com/07th_official/status/1018148111254896642 announcement]] of ''two'' more installments: A new installment of ''Umineko'', and an entirely new installment of the franchise titled ''[[VisualNovel/CiconiaWhenTheyCry Ciconia no Naku Koro ni]]'' ("When the Ciconia Cry"), planned for Summer 2019.

2016 also saw the release of ''VisualNovel/TrianthologySanmenkyouNoKuniNoAlice'', a visual novel co-written by Romeo Tanaka, [=Ryuukishi07=] and Yuuto Tonokawa, who already collaborated on ''VisualNovel/{{Rewrite}}. While not offically part of the franchise, it visibly takes place in the same universe.

2016 also saw the release of ''VisualNovel/TrianthologySanmenkyouNoKuniNoAlice'', a visual novel co-written by Romeo Tanaka, Ryuukishi07, Yuuto Tonokawa, who already collaborated on ''VisualNovel/{{Rewrite}}. While not offically part of the franchise, it visibly takes place in the same universe.

Between 2016 and 17 was published ''Manga/HotarubiNoTomoruKoroNi'', a manga drawn by Koike Nokuto and published in the magazine ''Monthly Action''. It features an AlternateContinuity version of ''Higurashi'''s character Takano.

% * FutureBadass - Mion in Higurashi, Ange in Umineko.

* AFateWorseThanDeath: Pity the poor character who actually remembers all the different murders.

%% * FutureBadass - Mion in Higurashi, Ange in Umineko.

* '''When They Cry: [[VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry Higurashi no Naku Koro ni]]''' ("When The Cicadas Cry"). Hinamizawa, a small village in TheEighties is plagued by a curse in which, every year, one villager is found murdered and another is never seen again. Keiichi Maebara, the new kid in town, begins to uncover the secrets of the village and is driven further into fear and paranoia as he watches his new friends succumb to madness. This year, it looks as if the whole village is marked for death...

* '''When They Cry 2: [[VisualNovel/HigurashiWhenTheyCry Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai]]''' (''When The Cicadas Cry: Solutions''). A direct continuation of the previous, which answers the many questions raised by it. Although some of these arcs appear in the first season of TheAnimeOfTheGame, they are considered part of ''Kai'' in the games themselves. Keiichi is replaced by Rika as the main character, but as with ''Himatsubushi-hen'', some arcs are told by other characters.

* '''When They Cry 3: [[VisualNovel/UminekoWhenTheyCry Umineko no Naku Koro ni]]''' ("When The Seagulls Cry"). Unlike ''Higurashi'', ''Umineko'' features a cast of eighteen people on the island of Rokkenjima, and the time loops only last two days, increasing the sense of urgency. An old man living in a mansion is near death, and all the relatives have convened to discuss his will. Battler Ushiromiya, one of these relatives, insists that the legends of a cruel and insane witch are only stories, and is determined to find the real cause of the murders. ''Higurashi'' and ''Umineko'' are mostly unrelated, save for one character which seems to tie the two verses together.

* '''When They Cry 4: Umineko no Naku Koro ni Chiru''' (''When The Seagulls Cry: Breakdown''). A direct continuation of the above, this delves deeper into the mysteries surrounding the family, where rather than outright answers, only subtle hints are given at first.

* '''Umineko no Naku Koro ni Tsubasa''' (''When The Seagulls Cry: Wings''). A fan disc containing extra short stories (TIPS), released alongside ''Twilight''.

2018 saw to the [[https://twitter.com/07th_official/status/1018148111254896642 announcement]] of ''two'' more installments: A new installment of ''Umineko'', and an entirely new installment of the franchise titled ''[[VisualNovel/CiconiaWhenTheyCry Ciconia no Naku Koro ni]]'' ("When The Ciconia Cry"), planned for Summer 2019.

Independent game developer [=Ryukishi07=] of 07th Expansion wanted to make a visual novel that stuck with people after they played it. For inspiration, he looked to one of the industry's pioneers, Creator/KeyVisualArts. [[Studying]] their games, he noticed that they all followed a basic structure. The games began with comedy and introduction of the characters and the basic concepts of the world; then the player got to know the characters; then something tragic happened to [[PlayerPunch make the player cry]] just as they'd gotten to care about the cast, accompanied by revelations of the true nature of the world and what had really been going on the whole time; then the story culminated with a miracle to EarnYourHappyEnding. Ryukishi decided that he wanted to make a game like that, too... but he didn't want to (just) [[{{Utsuge}} make his audience cry]] like Key did.

Independent game developer [=Ryukishi07=] of 07th Expansion wanted to make a visual novel that stuck with people after they played it. For inspiration, he looked to one of the industry's pioneers, Creator/KeyVisualArts. Studying their games, he noticed that they all followed a basic structure. The games began with comedy and introduction of the characters and the basic concepts of the world; then the player got to know the characters; then something tragic happened to [[PlayerPunch make the player cry]] just as they'd gotten to care about the cast, accompanied by revelations of the true nature of the world and what had really been going on the whole time; then the story culminated with a miracle to EarnYourHappyEnding. Ryukishi decided that he wanted to make a game like that, too... but he didn't want to (just) [[{{Utsuge}} make his audience cry]] like Key did.

In 2016 began ''Manga/HotarubiNoTomoruKoroNi'', a manga drawn by Koike Nokuto and published in the new magazine ''Monthly Action''. It stars ''Higurashi'''s character Takano as a protagonist.

2018 saw to the [[https://twitter.com/07th_official/status/1018148111254896642 announcement]] of ''two'' more installments: A new installment of ''Umineko'', and an entirely new installment of the franchise titled '''[[VisualNovel/CiconiaWhenTheyCry Ciconia no Naku Koro ni]]''' ("When The Ciconia Cry"), planned for Summer 2019.

2018 saw to the [[https://twitter.com/07th_official/status/1018148111254896642 announcement]] of ''two'' more installments: A new installment of ''Umineko'', and an entirely new installment of the franchise titled '''[[VisualNovel/CiconiaWhenTheyCry Ciconia no Naku Koro ni]]''' ("When The Ciconia Cry", planned for Summer 2019.

2018 saw to the [[https://twitter.com/07th_official/status/1018148111254896642 announcement]] of ''two'' more installments: A new installment of ''Umineko'', and an entirely new installment of the franchise titled ''Ciconia no Naku Koro ni'', planned for Summer 2019.

2018 saw to the [[https://twitter.com/07th_official/status/1018148111254896642 announcement]] of ''two'' more installments: A new installment of ''Umineko'', and an entirely new installment of the franchise titled ''Kikonia no Naku Koro ni'', planned for Summer 2019.

2018 saw to the [[https://twitter.com/07th_official/status/1018148111254896642 announcement]] of ''two'' more installments: A new installment of ''Umineko'', and an entirely new installment of the franchise, currently under the name "XX no Naku Koro Ni".

2018 saw to the [[https://.twitter.com/07th_official/status/1018148111254896642 announcement]] of ''two'' more installments: A new installment of ''Umineko'', and an entirely new installment of the franchise, currently under the name "XX no Naku Koro Ni".

* '''Ougon Musoukyoku''' (''Golden Fantasia''). A PC fighting game featuring the Umineko cast similar to the aforementioned ''Higurashi Daybreak'' and games like ''Melty Blood.'' Released at the 2010 winter Comiket.

2018 saw to the announcement of ''two'' more installments: A new installment of ''Umineko'', and an entirely new installment of the franchise, currently under the name "XX no Naku Koro Ni".

* UnreliableNarrator: The golden rule for the games is pretty much don't trust anything you see/read/hear until you go through the answer arc (Higurashi) or until something is confirmed that you can trust it (Umineko).
** In ''Umineko'', anything the main character sees with his own eyes, (as in, is narrated in first person) is the gospel truth. Anything presented with red text is the gospel truth. Anything that does not fall into one of those two categories may or may not be true, and in fact may not even be such than the statement "That scene really happened that way" is true ''or'' false.

* {{Expy}}:
** Higurashi's own notable one is Chie-sensei, who is a {{Homage}} to [[VisualNovel/{{Tsukihime}} Ciel]].

%% ** Okonogi is... Okonogi, though it's unclear whether or not they are one and the same.

* EarnYourHappyEnding: Ryukishi07 is fond of putting his characters through the wringer. This just makes it all the more worth it when the happy ending is finally achieved in ''Higurashi''.

* SocialServicesDoesNotExist: Ryukishi07 himself used to be a social worker, and in ''Higurashi'' he apologizes in a side note for [[LampshadeHanging playing this trope straight]] in regards to [[AbusiveParents Satoko's situation]]. In ''Umineko'' this is averted, but Rosa tries to keep them away so they won't find out that she's not a very good parent towards Maria.