When They Cry: Complete Box Set

Teenager Keiichi Maebara moves with his family to a rural village, where he is befriended by a group of four girls, who welcome him into their after-school game club. As Keiichi acclimates to his new surroundings, he learns that the village's annual festival has a curious tradition: each year when the festivities are over, someone is found murdered. While superstitious villagers blame the violence on a mysterious god, Keiichi begins to suspect that his new friends play a role in the killings. Keiichi is a memorable protagonist (whose emotional angst is uncommonly deep for anime) in a series that works hard to maintain a sense of fear and paranoia as Keiichi finds himself increasingly agitated by his creepy surroundings and mysterious friends. Unfortunately, When They Cry's late stage descent into violence seems more like a cop-out than a logical conclusion to what could have been a compelling psychological thriller. Still, this is a remarkably eerie adventure, with genuine thrills and stylish visuals. Compiling all 26 episodes from 2006 on a dual-language, four-disc boxed set, suitable for 16-up, this is recommended. Aud: P. (P. Hall)