Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Episode 12

~Warning, Spoilers Ahead~

Episode III-I, castling starts the new chapter off in another new setting, this time a comfortable looking cottage in which a small girl has just broken an important vase. Beatrice, a witch who looks nothing like the Golden Witch we know, appears and repairs it just long enough for a cat to come by and break it again, then explains to the younger girl (whom she calls Princess) that she couldn’t change the fate of the vase breaking but was able to put it off for a little while – only an Endless Witch can permanently repair and break things. The girl says she wants to become a witch and Beatrice takes her on as her disciple.

The story moves forward, stopping briefly to see Eva arguing with Kinzo about being the head of the family and being told her place is to marry a man that will be “profitable” to the Ushiromiya family. Her younger self comes to her in a vision and they plot to find a way to become the family’s head, then begin working on what appears to be the epitaph’s riddle.

The next jump is to Rokkenjima on the night of the storm, and in the garden Maria tells Beatrice that she wants to become a witch too. Beatrice sends her to the house and reaches out to catch the ring thrown to her by Kinzo…

Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Episode 11

~Warning, Spoilers Ahead~

Episode II-VI, back rank mate picks up in Natsuhi’s bedroom with George still trying to open the box with the mirror inside while Shannon proves that her “furniture” power is defensive. Even producing the mirror doesn’t keep them from becoming the next two sacrifices before they have a chance to express their love one final time. Genji finds Kumasawa and Dr. Nanjo’s bodies outside and brings Rosa out to see them. After Maria tells them that they are the seventh and eighth twilights, they discover that Gohda, Shannon and George were the fourth through sixth and that Beatrice should be revived at any moment.

This week’s episode punished me in a most severe way for thinking that Umineko doesn’t have as much disturbing content as Higurashi. In fact, this episode elicited every possible emotion from me…

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai

Higurashi no Naku Koro ni Kai (ひぐらしのなく頃に解) contains the last two of the four “answer arcs,” Minagoroshi (皆殺し編,; Massacre Arc) and Matsuribayashi (祭囃し編,; Festival Accompanying Arc). Before them, however, is an introductory episode where Akasaka and Ooishi meet with a thirtyish Rena to discuss the Great Hinamizawa Disaster and a special anime-only arc, Yakusamashi (厄醒し編; Disaster Awakening Arc). The latter was requested by Ryuukishi07 to include information from the original question arcs that had been left out, and focused on Rika and Satoko’s relationship as well as Rika’s growing depression.

After all the speculation about Oyashiro-sama, aliens, bioterror and conspiracies that ran rampant through the majority of the series, I was actually very satisfied with the final explanation and ending to the series.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Episode 10

Episode II-V, accept begins with the servants trying to explain to Rosa how Kumasawa and Dr. Nanjo were killed. None of them are able to put what they’ve seen into words and Rosa takes this to mean they’re covering up for Kanon. They take the rest of the family to the servants’ room, only to find that the corpses are gone, leaving large pools of blood in their place. Rosa reads a letter from Beatrice saying that she “borrowed” the corpses, then in the same breath supposes that the two faked their deaths and are hiding somewhere in the mansion. After a few more truths are revealed to Battler by Beatrice, Rosa demands that the servants turn over their keys at gunpoint. She puts them in Maria’s handbag and sends the servants out, saying she wants to trust them again when this is over. As soon as they’re out of earshot, though, she turns catty and says she never trusted them to begin with with a smirk on her face.

In the first chapter I spent a fair amount of time wishing a terrible fate upon Eva, and in this chapter I find myself doing the same for Rosa. She’s even more closed-minded than her sister, more interested in protecting herself and Maria than even the other Ushiromiya children. My boyfriend might have said it best – “they’re a family of dicks.” Add that to my distaste for Maria and I’m leaning toward Beatrice’s side.

Umineko no Naku Koro ni, Episode 9

~Warning, Spoilers Ahead~

Episode II-IV, skewer finds the survivors wondering what happened to Jessica and Kanon. They go together to Jessica’s room and find her dead, with no sign of Kanon. Rosa tries to blame the servants because they have multiple master keys, but when they all have alibis her suspicion finally rests on Kanon. Gohda confirms that Kanon gave Jessica his key and it is found in her pocket, clearing his name. Rosa’s suspicion immediately swings back to Gohda and Kumasawa but Battler and George refuse to believe it. Once again, Beatrice and Battler return to argue about the possibility of magic and the fact that Battler is complicating things on his own.

This week’s episode wasn’t nearly as bloody as I assumed it would be. Granted, there were a couple of squick moments, but I thought we’d see a couple more twilights at least. It did leave me with a lot of questions, though.