![]() ![]() ![]() George’s parents are both immediately enjoyable and I found them to get more interesting over time. Jessica’s parents I found to be the weakest of the family character-wise, but are still likeable in their own right. Battler’s parents don’t get much screen time, but the time they get is enough for them to make some powerful impressions. Kinzo’s children all get a good amount of spotlight. ![]() The head of the family Kinzo comes off as more mystery than character, we see little of him but feel the waves of his actions. They both come off as initially simple but have a significant amount more going on. The servants of similar age to the grandchildren, Shannon and Kanon, were characters I initially disliked but grew to rather like by the end. The other grandchildren (Battler’s cousins) Jessica, George, and Maria get a good amount of spotlight as we see into their lives. Battler himself is a rather distinct and likeable character, his character also well develops over the course of the VN. The human cast ranges from being able to be uniquely described to in depth enough for a full character study. The VN uses its long run time to spend a good amount of time on most of the characters. We open the story with 18 characters before adding in any supposed witches.The good news is all of them are very distinct in both appearance and personality. While not conclusive, Umineko has a strong ending that sets up for its sequel, Umineko Chiru.Ĩ/10, a grand mystery unfolds with some bumps here and there.ĬHARACTERS: Umineko has a lot of characters. Despite some unique diversions however, at the end of the day it goes back to the mystery and battle against the witch. Umineko also isn’t content to be just a mystery, in its over 50 hour playtime it delves into comedy, action, romance, tragedy, and so on. The pacing isn’t usually very tight, and you occasionally run into bumpy dragged out pieces or retreaded ground, but the high points are definitely worth the lows. ![]() Umineko is also incredibly long, and not necessarily for all the right reasons. There is a lot going on here, a drastic amount has changed between episodes 1 and 4. Due to the incredibly plot heavy nature of the VN, I can’t go into much more detail for spoiler reasons. The unique trait of Umineko is its witches, rather than simply solving a murder to catch the murderer, it’s also a battle to prove it isn’t the magic of a witch- which sounds a simpler task than it is. For those familiar with Higurashi, Umineko does adopt the same format over it’s four episodes. At this intersection between reality and magic, can the culprit be found, or will it be accepted as the powers of a witch? Umineko is a hard as nails mystery with a lot of detail to it. When a series of mysterious deaths begin to happen on the island, the family is forced to take the letter seriously. Beatrice’s letter claims that she had a contract with Kinzo, and this contract states that all possessions of the Ushiromiya family go to her unless someone can solve her epitaph. A letter is delivered to the dinner table signed by the “family alchemist” Beatrice. When a typhoon blows in, trapping the family, their servants, and one attending physician on the island, strange events begin to occur. Attached to this portrait is a mysterious epitaph which none of the family have managed to solve. This portrait is of the legendary witch Beatrice, who the family head Kinzo claims gave him a fortune of gold which he built his success on. Our protagonist, Battler, and the other grandchildren are spared from these debates and find themselves in front of a portrait in the mansion. The head of the family’s 4 children and their families gather at the family head’s mansion on Rokkenjima island and debates begin. Being an immensely prosperous business family, talks quickly become of money, including the inheritance of the aging family head. The annual family conference of the Ushiromiya family has come once again. This presented a massive challenge, but did Umineko succeed? Let’s rock. It both rode on the coattails of, and had to fight it’s way out of the shadow of its predecessor, Higurashi. The third entry in the acclaimed When They Cry series, Umineko, brings a fresh new start to the series. Also know as: Umineko: When They Cry - Question Arcs, When They Cry 3 ![]()
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