Also known as When the Seagulls Cry, Umineko no Naku Koro Ni tells the story of Battler Ushiromiya, a young aristocrat visiting his extended family for a long-awaited reunion on a private island. The higher-ups of the family are to decide how the wealth will be distributed upon the death of the family patriarch.

However, not everything is as it seems when the legend of Beatrice, the Golden Witch comes to light. Soon thereafter, the island is plunged into chaos and Battler is left with the responsibility of breaking his family out of a never-ending loop of greed, death, and misfortune.

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The Murder Of The Mystery

Umineko Horror Scene

While the plot stayed true to its source material, Umineko’s anime adaptation went under the radar with its lack of credibility of the characters. Many key factors that went into the development of the characters were cast aside in favor of jump scares. Viewers unfamiliar with the visual novel had trouble keeping up with the story. But the thing that was lacking the most, was the surreal element of horror the visual novel had. Scary scenes are intentionally dragged out to increase the intensity and anxious atmosphere. The anime on the other hand, as mentioned previously, turned it into a brief scene of a character screaming followed by blood, before moving on.

Beatrice's character, while briefly touched upon, wasn't as explored as she was in the original visual novel. She is primarily the driving force behind the events of the story, though her involvement is much more direct than the audience is led to believe. The anime adaptation casts this fact aside and instead focuses on the title of "Beatrice", which is passed from witch to witch. It is still a core part of the legend of the Golden Witch, but the audiences' understanding of who she actually is, isn't there. Additionally, her relationship with Battler doesn't develop or evolve as well as the original does.

The Family

Umineko-Family-1

It goes without saying that the dynamic of the Ushiromiya family is confusing - even in the original visual novel. But the large range of family members in an only 26-episode series will leave room for very few opportunities for character development. Eva's younger witch counterpart was lightly brushed upon, and she was given screen time to sow her seeds, but the effects of the past on the future are left out and not explained.

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How does this relate to the current Rosa? Does another version of Beatrice live through her? What kind of relationship do they even have? There are also two other witches that play a large role later on in the story, Bernkastel and Lambdadelta, who both act as a bridge between the Umineko and Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni continuities. Unfortunately, there wasn't enough time to delve into the depths of these mysterious characters, though.

The Clock Is Ticking

Bernkastel Umineko

It's clear that the studio incorporated as much information as they could within that short span of 26 episodes, but because they were only allowed so many, that in itself was another issue entirely. The anime had to condense each story arc into a single episode, with some taking place at the same time. But in a way, that became its own undoing as well - it didn't take its time to flesh out the story or characters. The anime length is limited yes, but there's always potential for more seasons should it be well-received. But if the story isn't properly adapted, the probability of it getting a second season is low.

Higurashi's first season for instance was slowly paced, but the build-up to the final episode was well worth it when the audience learned what was happening by the episode. It also told the story through different characters' perspectives, which helped the story come together in a timely manner. But Umineko seldom told the story from someone other than Battler's point of view. The primary concern may have very well been to tell as much of the story as possible in one adaptation - but without key elements, it can't be properly enjoyed and the potential for there not being another season is self-fulfilled.

What Went Right

Unimeko Opening

Umineko's adaptation wasn't all obstacles, though. Studio Deen managed to give the show an atmosphere like no other and could set the mood accordingly whenever an important scene was happening. The art style of Youko Kikuchi is also a bonus, as the way she designed the characters is fitting for the setting. The cast looks aesthetically pleasing, with plenty of attractive male and female characters for the viewer to fawn over. And finally with a nice blood-colored cherry on top, an amazon soundtrack.

The opening song especially complete with stunning visuals and a hint of mystery will leave chills in the listener's wake but also have a large enough impression for them to sing along to. Starting over from scratch to give this anime another chance to flourish, like its predecessor, Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, would be a great way to reintroduce it to the public, so fans of the game and anime-only watchers can collectively enjoy it.

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