This visual novel from the "Dragon Knight 07" is a collection of short stories revolving around a couple school students. Each story is quite different and most of the time they're not really connected with each other, but obviously you'll need to have an understanding of those before you even can start the next story. Me, personally, I liked most of them but I can understand why this might not be everyone's cup of tea. There are a few stories that basically just tell that there's nothing you can do so there's not much of a reason for the story to exist (Well, there's only one story like that and I still liked it).

If you enjoy Ryukishi's writing style and how he deals with horror, yeah, you can read this as well. And you'll probably get an enjoyment out of it in some way or another just like I did. Don't expect a "When They Cry" kinda deal out of this game though. It's definitely not going to be a good time if you do.

Definitely not Ryuukishi's best work by any meaning of the word, but I enjoyed it for what it is, for the most part.
There are definitely parts that felt a bit edgy or unnecessary, but I think overall I generally liked the stories enough to overlook it.

I did find myself wishing at some points that the stories were longer, or a bit more interconnected, so that the themes could be explored a bit deeper and less bluntly. But I also know this was Ryuukishi's cool-down project after Umineko (I thought for the longest time it was his first work), so it is what it is.

I think the best chapter was Utopia, and The Princess's Lie was enjoyable. Mesomeso-san was also quite good and focused on my favourite aspect of Ryuukishi's writing (relationships between abuser and abused).

Pleasantly surprising VN from everyone's friend ryukishi. I was weary of starting this one because I'm generally tired of the cartoonishly evil nature of japanese bullying stories but the yokai aspect of Higanbana makes the stories much more interesting. It also helps that, unlike ryukishi's other VNs, Higanbana is a relatively compact anthology of short stories instead of an 80 hour mystery so the pacing is quick and no topic overstays its welcome like in RGD. Of course while this does have its pros, it also has it's cons like having few characters to get attached to over a long period of time and the stories themselves being of varying quality. While some of the stories are weaker than others, I wouldn't say any of them are really bad (though the needlessly grotesque one with the rabbits comes close) and the best ones are pretty good. It definitely doesn't reach the heights of ryukishi's other works, even Ciconia, but its unique structure and solid pacing make it an enjoyable read in its own right.

interestingly departs from ryukishi's other works by moving away from longer-form narratives somewhat and towards a structure more reminiscent of a collection of short stories linked by setting, character, and theme. on the one hand, the stories set against each other take on an interesting dialogical quality where they could be said to both expand on and contradict each other's ideas and sentiments, but on the other it also means the stories vary wildly in tone and, ultimately, quality. chapter 5, in particular, is ugly, vulgar, and beneath the caliber of ryukishi's usual work, a truly rather vile text that almost soured me on the whole game. however, art (especially transgressive art) hardly exists to repeat to us our own already-solidified feelings and ideas, and i can appreciate the way that even the ideas here that i find utterly wrongheaded set this in opposition to expected discourse around the notions its toying with. this is a very high concept treatment of bullying, cyclical victimhood, and the nature of power in hierarchies, and it certainly intends to unsettle as much as polemicize. in that capacity it's successful, albeit i have to admit that this is a distinct step-down in my estimation from higu and umi.

From his love for horror, to his interests in the supernatural, and even his past experiences as a civil servant, Higanbana encapsulates all of Ryukishi's assets.

Of course, as a collection of short stories, episodes are a mixed bag, and the resolution for each one always comes abruptly, especially the final one.

Having said that, I think this is the best way for one person to start delving into 07th Expansion's works. If, by chance, this novel piques their interest, then they can consider approaching Higurashi and Umineko.

Originally made as an attempt for Ryukishi to train himself to work on a short story format.
Due to that, experimental is the word to describe it best, which is truly refreshing after getting used to Ryukishi's ways of building a story with the long long Higurashi and Umineko.

I would have trouble recommending it to anyone who's not super invested in Ryukishi's worldviews and more specifically the constant game of "catch ball"
going on between his previous writings and his next, ever-changing and clashing against each other as they come around with new perspectives to the same issues, specifically within the WTC series.
As a result Higanbana can feel like somewhat of an edgy messy string of stories in standalone when you're not caring much about the other works surrounding it and how they connect thematically to each-other.

While not part of WTC directly, what is said relating to WTC works is where Higanbana was at its most interesting to me, it is much more cruel and dark in its depiction of suffering and their overall resolutions.

The Princess's Lie and Hameln’s Castanets being primary examples for Umineko and Higurashi respectively.

Higanbana is cruel because as its name implies, it is a story of the deads, she nourrishes herself with our repeated failures, there is no warmth to be had for what has failed and will continue to fail,
she will simply always have the last laugh as the cycle continues.