AlchemistR

This is likely the only review I will every write on this site, and it's going to be a fairly brief one. The reason for this is that people give this show way too much hate. First of all, anyone that watches Higurashi for the gore will not particularly like this OVA. But then again, Higurashi is in no way about the gore; it's about the characters and what they go through. And this fact is exactly why I am giving this an 8/10. Over the course of the series, we have all seen just how much suffering the characters have gone through. Don't youthink they need a reprieve? Do you really think they deserve to go through such hell and not live happy lives afterwards? Next, I've noticed that many of the hateful reviews of Kira are by people who have only seen the first episode. The first episode is pretty much the only episode with immense amounts of fanservice(other episodes only have minor fanservice in the fact that Shion's breasts occasionally Gainax), and that is the entire point of the episode. If you don't like fanservice, then simply skip episode 1. Episode 2 is a parody of the magical girl genre, and fulfills its job well. In my opinion, where this OVA really shines is in the third and fourth episodes. The third episode is a comedic side-story about Mion, Shion, and Rena all vying for Keiichi's love, and it manages to have that signature Higurashi comedy that we all know and love. I won't spoil the ending of the episode, but it elicited more than a few chuckles from me. Episode 4, unlike the other three, is a relatively serious one-shot mainly about Hanyuu and Rika. This episode is considered canon to the series and is definitely worth a watch, even if you do not watch the rest of Kira. The ending even manages to nearly make my eyes water, and I am not one who cries easily. In short, this OVA is nowhere near as bad as people make it out to be(as long as you are a fan of Higurashi for the right reasons(such reasons being things such as the characters, the story, the comedy, the message it gives off, etc.)). I would highly suggest giving it a try, and even if you end up disliking the first episodes, go ahead and finishing it. You will not regret it, trust me.

nekonapping

I love the original Higurashi and find this to be just a composite of fan service scenes that really don't have the same plot or impact. The art is good and theres noting really wrong with fan service but it's a major disappointment if you liked the original series and lacks any real conflict or plot.