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Review of Umineko no Naku Koro ni

SubjectUmineko no Naku Koro ni
Umineko no Naku Koro ni
ByHelpfulness: 1
anonymous on 2023-03-26
ReviewUmineko no Naku Koro ni Review (Equal parts mystery series and emotional soap opera)


- Synthesized Impressions
Umineko no Naku Koro ni is a marvel in both form and substance. It surpasses any possible rivals, when it comes to pragmatic characters, lifelike interactions and emotional intensity, born from empathetic sources. It can be deceptively mundane, but consistently draws you in.

It breaks the mold and does its own thing, leaving you with an experience that cannot be contained, within the simple definition, of Visual Novel. It's something beyond that and this departure should please both, newcomers and veterans of the medium.

Unfortunately, it doesn't stop there. Umineko no Karu Koro ni is also purposefully confounding, pseudo-intellectual, a sea of sophistry, outlandish in its selfish opinions and worst of all, it has no attunement with the concept of symbolism. You are looking at a fire that burns long and bright, but spends too much time consuming itself.


- Context of the Review
I had Umineko no Karu Koro ni (Umineko, from now on) installed, modded and ready to read, many months ago. The reason which stopped me from doing so, was its duration (supposedly, 150 hours to read both titles).
For me it was a powerful entry barrier, with something else always taking precedence over reading Umineko.
Basically, I was worried I would not like it and waste my time with it. As it turns out, there was no cause for such caution.

(This review should be spoiler free, to those who never heard of Umineko. There is no summary of the plot, or character actions. Only hazy, generic descriptions).


- Warnings/Controversy
I would like to point out three things here:
The first is that I modded Umineko following this guide: link . If something in the review seems out of place, looking here might clear things.

The second is that I have not read Umineko no Naku Koro ni Chiru. The review has no influences, arising from the sequel's content being digested.

Third and most important, whoever wrote Umineko feels no sense of duty, to logic thinking, the reader, or the usual innerworkings of a VN. This is not, inherently, a bad thing. What I want to convey, is that you shouldn't get too caught up in solving the mystery and following some cohesive reasoning.

Burn in to your memory, that the writer and Umineko's most important character, are both fickle and want to have their individuality asserted. I will have an explanation below, under the "CRITICISM" parameter, regarding this.


- Technical issues
I had no technical issues with Umineko. Everything worked perfectly. I remember that the process of modding Umineko, was somewhat convoluted but that only applies, If you decide to follow the link above.



- Setting
In October 4 of 1986, the Ushiromiya, a rich and powerful family, are having their yearly gathering, which brings together all of its family members to the small (private) island of Rokkenjima. This reunion is meant to last two days and a topic of great importance will be on the table. The succession of the currently moribund head of the family, Kinzo.

Since things cannot be so tedious, at the risk of disinterest, you will also be presented with a riddle on the location of a large sum of gold. A discussion on the existence of a supernatural phenomenon and a murder mystery, generally through "closed rooms", brought about by an expedient typhoon, which was headed to Rokkenjima at this time.

It's also worth pointing out that the mix of perceived "western" style and influence, along with Japanese idiosyncrasies/tradition, is one of the high points of the setting.


- Themes/Feels
Initially, I mentioned the idea of "breaking the mold". Well, that starts right here, with the themes covered in Umineko. In some VN's it's very easy to point their message: Never give up, try things even if they are difficult, listen to your own heart, find purpose in life. The material that belongs in the self-help section.

Umineko doesn't work that like that. Not for a very long time, anyway. What you have in Umineko is a battle of wits. An assertion of the most powerful will. A desire to transmit knowledge and experience unilaterally. The feels will eventually surface and the writer will buckle under the pressure of a more traditional approach.

As for the themes role call you have: Fate being inescapable. Luck favoring the bold. Contentedness vs ambition, on the road to self-fulfillment. The qualities/emotions that make someone Human. The strength and frailty of familiar bonds. The nature of desire and the factor that is self-assertion. A short happy life vs a long miserable one. The ever present need, to redo the past.

The corruptive nature of power and knowledge as an enemy of happiness (these two are heavily derived). Fragility of human existence. Improving yourself for another's sake. "Light Nihilism" in the form of a particular expression. To summarize, Umineko runs for a very long time and touches many different notions. It has an eclectic scope of consciousness, surpassing just about any other VN.


- Supernatural
I can't tell you if the supernatural exists in Umineko or not. This is one of the things, that is under questioning. Some characters believe there is a supernatural presence on the isle. Others deny it vehemently. Don't expect the veil and confusion to be lifted anytime soon and draw your own conclusions on this "conundrum".

Regarding this alleged supernatural, you can expect some standard ideas, such as magic being born of strong feelings, powerful beliefs (close to faith) miraculous odds or just love. The notion of resisting magic is also accounted for.

Do note that the writer makes no distinction, between preternatural and supernatural, so when it comes to the puzzling events of the island, they range from opening a door, to Godlike feats. The idea of magic is carelessly thrown around, but I do enjoy the concept of risk as a catalyst for magic, a sort of unfair law of transmutation.

I would advise you to carefully receive information regarding this question and take it in strides. Getting too caught up in explaining what is happening, would be a mistake.


- Pacing/Structure
Another divergent point in Umineko, when compared to a "normal" VN. Umineko is divided in to 4 (four) chapters and they all verse about the same subject. There is a sense of moving forward, but it's very dull and slow. Expect the information to be divulged sparingly and in a compound way, over chapters.

The character's point of view moves around. The main events are stopped for significant amounts of time. Something entirely new, maybe pursued out of nowhere. Changes in tone are not uncommon. Destroying and rebuilding the established is also norm.

In essence, a degree of patience is necessary to handle Umineko at its worse. Nothing ever happens immediately (as opposed to instant gratification). Fortunately the quality of the text is very high, lack of attention periods, should be minimal.


- Characters
The "meat and potatoes" of Umineko and in my opinion, its greatest asset. The characters are extremely relatable, lifelike, their behavior and motivations are very satisfying, especially the sibling's bickering, their unhealed wounds. Interpersonal relationships at their finest.

Characters in Umineko don't follow (once again) a typical style, archetype or line of development. Remember that the plot takes place over 2 (two) days and all 4 (four) chapters depict this reality. (There's a partial exception).

What this means, is that the characters personalities are already established, but the information you need to truly gauge their nature, is given to you over a large period of time. Said information often comes in the form of tragic or distressful situations. Many characters have their point of view explained, that's not common in a VN. Not all characters are created equal however, but they don't have to be.

Your initial impressions, will probably be far removed from the ones post-reading. Many characters show their true colors in the face of adversity. It's important to mention that some characters like Battler follow a more orthodox approach, but these are not the rule.

Finally, I will be keeping my impressions short, because of the number of characters the cast sports, while mentioning only their initial situation. No spoilers, just a hint or two. (I'm following the "Hide spoilers" tag, as seen in VNDB).

- Battler - The (reasonable) protagonist of Umineko, Rudolf's son, who has been absent from the last 6 (six) yearly gatherings of the Ushiromiya family. Battler is caught up in a battle of wits, with a character I cannot disclose. The point of contention: The existence of a supernatural presence in the island and its ties to the murders. Battler is, honest, emotional, a bit reckless, but good natured and energetic. His screen time with HER, is definitely one of Umineko's highlights.

- Gouda - A servant to Ushiromiya family, with amazing cooking skills. Gouda is largely unremarkable, but brings to the table an important aspect of normalcy, removal from the grand setting of Umineko. He is a regular person caught up in things, that are anything but normal. Gouda is proud of his skills, but also proud to serve such an esteemed family. He doesn't carry the Ushiromiya family crest (One-winged eagle).

- Kanon - Is another servant to the family, but much younger than Gouda and allowed to carry the aforementioned crest. He sees and treats Shannon as his sister and may have romantic feelings for Jessica.
If Gouda was pride, than Kanon is stubbornness. He has a code or a set of ideas he deems worthy following and stands by them to the last consequences.

- Kumasawa - An elderly, but lively servant to the family. Kumasawa is quick witted, empathetic and knows when to push, then return to her place. Kumasawa's main trait is most likely wisdom, gained from her age and years serving. She knows the island and her flexibility is revealed as opposite, to more rigid characters.

- Nanjo - The personal physician and friend of Kinzo, the family head. Nanjo exists for 2 (two) reasons. The first is acting as a coroner and the second is being surprised at revelations. He is obviously kind-hearted and sensible, but well out of his depth, in the grand scheme of things.

- Genji - The highest ranking servant of the Ushiromiya family and one of the few, who personally attends Kinzo. Genji is a depiction of a "butler type character" that throws no quips. Genji is duty, knowledge and selflessness, but has a propensity for good and care, regarding the young servants. A simple man with a simple agenda.

- Shannon - Another of the family servants allowed to wear the family crest. Shannon is young, but has been serving the Ushiromiya's for a long time. She has romantic feelings for George, which are reciprocated.
Shannon is a character who understands the situation she is in and one of the first to actually counter, the story's main "antagonist". Shannon can be defined as love. She is kind, warm and amiable. A representation of the certainty you can acquire, through strong positive feelings.

- Eva - Probably my favorite character in Umineko, if we exclude the one woman show, that I cannot talk about. Eva is the second child of Kinzo, wife to Hideyoshi and mother to George. Eva is best defined as poisonous, corrosive, a fierce snake that guards her own and strikes continuously at perceived outsiders. A very good depiction of an actual human being, with a proper background and understandable motivations. Definitely keep an eye out for Eva, cause you are not finding someone like this in a VN, anytime soon.

- George - Son to Eva and Hideyoshi. A calm and collected young man, that seems to excel at lowering tensions, being soothing and agreeable. George is tranquility, his feelings for Shannon and his education, gave birth to someone who knows the important things in life. Regrettably he is still missing some backbone and not all problems can be solved without conflict. His vision for a bright future seems to be enough to compel him to vigor.

- Hideyoshi - Eva's husband, father to George. Hideyoshi is gifted at dealing with people. He knows when to laugh. He knows when to be serious. He is in complete synch with his wife. More importantly, he knows his role, his responsibilities and understands the true value of family. Don't dismiss him.

- Jessica - Daughter to Krauss and Natsuhi, Jessica wants to be a regular teenager, but her family status and parents pressure, prevents her from achieving this. Jessica will be, for the most part, what you would expect from a rich, full of expectations, slightly rebellious teenage girl portrayal. She has feelings for Kanon, but his job as a servant, is stopping things from his side.

- Kinzo - The head of the Ushiromiya family, father to Krauss, Eva, Rudolf and Rosa. Kinzo is supposed to be at death's door, but he still cackles with the best of them. Kinzo is regret and madness. He sees no worth in his children and he reached a point where correcting his greatest mistake, is the only thing in his mind. He is not the most active character, but the plot revolves heavily around him and many things will be revealed about his past actions.

- Krauss - Kinzo's firstborn, father to Jessica and husband to to Natsuhi. Krauss is one of the Ushiromiya's who gets less screen time. He seems to be (business) sharp, but unlucky. He is deferent to Kinzo and dismissive of just about everyone else. At some point, Krauss will be given a chance to shine as a proper human being. It's not enough, but it does help boost his value as a character.

- Kirie - Wife to Rudolf, stepmother to Battler. Kirie is pure intellect and logic. She is extremely capable and can be derived, as an incredibly driven individual. The problem Kirie has during Umineko, is that many events will fall outside the definition of temporal. Kirie is quick to respond to rational situations. When absurd things happen, her behavior is not as impressive.

- Maria - Rosa's only daughter. Maria is smart (not school smart), sweet, innocent, but also a bit of brat, throwing tantrums every now and then. Maria is the only character that I don't wish to discuss too much. Her relationship with her mother, feels taken from real life events. Very powerful stuff. The root of all evil. I don't remember seeing anything close to this, in a VN. Look forward to reading, past the initial information on Maria.

- Natsuhi (A.K.A the hot one) - Jessica's mother and wife to Krauss. Volatile might be the best word to define Natsuhi. She is plagued by headaches, quick to anger, weak to authority and determined to preserve the noble name of the Ushiromiya family and her daughter's place in the succession line. Like most characters in Umineko, distress will bring about a more favorable side of Natsuhi. She is a diamond in the rough, has fiber, commanding abilities, the right morals, she just needs a bit of incentive to shine.

- Rosa - Kinzo's youngest child and mother to Maria. Rosa is a single mom and has her own business. She is also pure controversy, a marvelous source of discussion. Umineko will paint Rosa in all kinds of lights, most of them are not flattering. It's up to you to crucify or try to understand Rosa. For me, she is the origin of a scene that defied all my expectations. Raw and genuine doesn't make it justice.

- Rudolf - Kinzo's third child, Father to Battler and husband to Kirie. Rudolf's main trait is probably charm, charisma. He is a smooth talker and comes to Rokkenjima with a well defined agenda. He seems to get along with Eva and together with Hideyoshi, they form a front bent on getting some answers (and more) from Krauss and Kinzo.


- Routes
There are no routes in Umineko, it's another separation from tradition. What you have are 4 (four) chapters, supplemented by some short duration, extra (not really extra) content. In the first chapter, the characters are divided in to 3 (three) factions : The Ushiromiya's, the servants and the "children".

Then you have 3 (three) mysteries or main things to be resolved: Who is responsible for the murders? Where is the gold? Is there a supernatural presence in the island? I think this is enough to give some color to the situation. This review does not cover the following chapters, but you can expect a great deal of contrivances to be introduced as time goes on.


- Humor
I'm afraid that I cannot divulge the original wellspring, that generates a large portion of the humor in Umineko. It's all HER. Her voice actress, the mannerisms, the mocking speech, the cackling madness. In a word, enthralling. Know that humor, is not the main pursuit of Umineko, but one character will definitely get you.


- H-scenes
No H-scenes exist in Umineko.


- Visuals/Art/Sprites/Cg's/Background/Effects/Animations
Good marks.
Quality and quantity are distributed along the duration of Umineko, in terms of visuals. Some great character art. Pleasant sprites. The main characters have several animations. Plenty of backgrounds and effects at appropriate moments, like the murders. Not amazing, but unquestionably satisfactory.


- Sound/OST/Voice acting/Effects
Excellent marks.
The OST is massive, diverse and has several great tracks. The voice acting has HER as the star, but some of it actually feels unique. Imagine a voice in a VN, that you can't place in an archetype, it's almost unheard of. High quality voice acting all around and Battler, the protagonist, is also voiced, which is a plus in my book.
Finally the effects will be most noticeable during battles or more physical scenes. Conveniently placed and moderately used.


- Translation/Localization
Best of the best marks.
From what I understand, a bunch of people came together, to put forward the translation of Umineko, that I read. I can only thank them and say that it's the best translation, I have ever seen. I have no desire, to nitpick something so great.


- Text Comprehension/Writing quality
Very good marks.
Umineko is not hard to read and the writing quality is exceedingly high. The use of analogies, metaphors and particularly comparisons to explain things, is highly welcome. At times something more convoluted can be explained and a larger wall of text may appear, but nothing that poses a problem. Not recommended as a first (initial) visual novel, but also not as complex as you might think.


- Innovation/Quality of life
Excellent marks.
My reasoning here, revolves around how different Umineko is, from some of the greater names in the medium. Umineko is doing its own thing and sometimes doesn't feel like a VN. How much more innovative can you be? The quality of life aspect is disregarded.


- Message
Let me be frank, no idea. I can give you my opinion, but the certainty is not overwhelming. I feel like Umineko is a celebration of individuality, doing things your own way. Believe in yourself, decide for yourself, reach the meanings you seek by yourself. Being happy depends on you. Ambition or contentedness are paths. Being capable and smart depends on you. Motivation is the fuel.

Another main idea, is that human souls will always gravitate to good, given enough time and that the absence of evil is the natural state of things. The strongest subtext I could derive.


- Criticism
We finally arrive at the reason, why Umineko is not a masterpiece, a 10 out of 10. It all hinges on the writer's philosophy, on how he treats and perceives the reader. Let's be perfectly clear, whoever wrote Umineko doesn't care what you think and doesn't "manage" the reader, as you would an intelligent person. What we have here is a unilateral declaration of will and opinion, that states: This is my work and I want to do things my way.

Let's start with the devil's proof concept (proving a negative). Imagine I say, there is a God and you say otherwise. The burden of proof lies with me. In Umineko it's the other way around. The problem here however, is not its reversal. The writer acknowledges this and clearly states that his reasoning doesn't apply to the human world (our society). Unfortunately this is brought up, during Umineko, "ad nauseam".

Quoting:
"No matter who or how many people witnessed magic, that cannot become proof of magic's existence". (Note that this includes the proponent seeing magic and still denying it, or all of the human population put together). I don't care about the twisted logic that wouldn't work in the real world, the problem is using this argument dozens of times during Umineko's duration, along with the alternation between need or absence of a concept of proof.

Many arguments start from falsehoods, astronomically low plausibility, are reversed and in their new form presented as absolute. This serves philosophical needs, but it doesn't win arguments unless you have a captive audience and guess what?

However, this is not enough to be upset. Many VN's have an annoying repeating element, there's even a skip mechanic particular to them. The real injury, comes in the form of introducing the concept of quantum superposition. What this means, in essence, is that the writer gives himself a means to justify everything he presents, no matter how absurd. If it's observed, it's real and the writer determines what is classified as observed. The reader's evident observations, are not taken into account.

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YOU CAN STOP READING THIS PARAMETER HERE, if you haven't read Umineko. The rest might not make sense. Skip to final considerations
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Call it fragments, parallel realities, (non)observed possibilities. It's cheap and throws all the reader's reasoning out of the window. If it's not clear by now, I am a "Determinist" by conviction and at heart. As for the added insult, it comes in the form of the concept "Witch's corrosion". I won't explain it, it's just another tool for chaos. Umineko, is like a paradox with degrees of solvability, except these degrees are not within my subjectivity. This makes a part of Umineko highly unfulfilling.

Unfortunately there's more: the use of technicalities, slight different terminology and assumptions in closed room cases, is abundant. The seven deadly sins symbolism is inaccurate or non-existent. Purgatory didn't deserve any thought. The notion of "Quod erat demonstrandum" was largely demolished or repurposed as needed. Think on the nature of "furniture" as it's presented. Their existence and interactions with the cast for so many years should solve the plot instantly. That was all on the "need demonstration department".

The chess analogies could have been a high point, but for whatever reason were made obvious and clearly stated. On the POSITIVE side of this criticism parameter: At some point a massive change in tone occurs. I welcomed it and I would classify the more traditional approach taken in later chapters, as refreshing. Also positive is the murders gravitas, never disappearing. It's always dramatic, tragic. The turnaround regarding HER is delicious. Obvious and way too quick, but subtle enough, to set-up things to come.


- Final Considerations
I have one piece of advice: Don't take the mystery portion of Umineko seriously. Pay attention, learn something from it, but don't get too caught up in logically solving it. It's not a fair game and you are quite literally at the writer's mercy.

It's analogous to much of the running time, of the battle between Battler and the character I so badly want to name. If you look at Umineko in more lighthearted shades, I can only assume that your experience with it, will be enhanced.

How different Umineko is, from a standard VN is a blessing, but temperance is the greatest of virtues.


- Score
I'm giving Umineko no Naku Koro ni a 9 out of 10. In the end this VN never resonated with me completely, but it would be foolish and false of me, to deny the high quality presented. It's a masterpiece in form and substance, but not soul.

I'm recommending Umineko no Naku Koro ni, to just about anyone who reads: "150 hours play time" and doesn't see this as an entry barrier. More logical and impatient folk, should probably stay away from Umineko.
1 point