>>864512I think it's worth to distinguish the main storyline from the spinoff games and merchandise. Unfortunately, that's just expected from the Japanese landscape, no matter the franchise. It's all optional and you don't have to actively seek it out. The visual novels don't go beyond making a few vulgar jokes, and it's apt in handling darker topics (one of the themes in Higurashi is child abuse), so it's a matter of your tolerance for that stuff.