When the Ushiromiya family patriarch's health declines, his family gathers on his private island to discuss the division of their inheritance. Soon after everyone arrives, a typhoon hits, trapping them on the island. Then the youngest member of the family, 9 year old Maria, delivers a strange and disturbing message to the family and people start dying. The killer claims to be the "Golden Witch Beatrice" and that the murders are preformed using magic. Battler Ushiromiya doesn't believe in magic. He is determined to prove that every murder was carried out using mundane means and thus track down the killer. Out of the 10 family members, 5 servants, and the personal physician, who is the real murderer?From the creator of Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry), Umineko follows a similar pattern everyone dies horrible, bloody deaths, then everything is reset and they do it again. This series has four arcs total. They are connected in that, after the first one, Battler and Beatrice spend the rest of the series playing a game to prove or disprove magic. So after a murder occurs, the story might pause and Battler try to prove it wasn't done with magic. Each arc focuses on a different set of characters. Battler is the main character, but he isn't really the focus of the series.
I really enjoyed Umineko. I liked Higurashi, but in the end I couldn't really figure out what the point was. Umineko has a much better overall story and the mystery is more compelling. The art is also quite beautiful at times (Beatrice's golden butterflies come to mind). Up until the end, this series was a solid 5 stars. Then it ended. Why?! Why must anime producers taunt us like this?! In the end, nothing is resolved. And right before it ends, another puzzle is introduced. Closure is completely absent. You do learn various things over the course of the series, but the big questions about Beatrice are pretty much all unanswered. I happened to know a few answers, through accidentally reading a spoiler right before starting the series, so I was waiting for those answers to be fully explained. But nope, nothing. I was so disappointed, since I really liked the show. I still recommend watching it, but I don't think that I will be able to justify the $104 purchase for the whole series. :(
Set specs from NIS America's site:
Release Date: December 4, 2012
Genre: Murder Mystery, Fantasy, Metafiction, Psychological Thriller
2 Blu-ray disc set
Total of 18 episodes
Approximately 23 mins/episode
Features original Japanese voice acting / English subtitles
Premium box with bonus item: A full-color, 28-page hardcover art book, which will provide a deeper understanding of the series with an in-depth story analysis, detailed character bios, and character sketches.
The second set contains the last 8 episodes. Both sets can be purchased on NIS America's website, the first one for $64 and the second for $40 (at the time of this review, prices will almost certainly change over time). If you buy both sets together, you don't save any money, but you do get a bonus card game (while supplies last).
For those who are not, the story makes use of a strange story telling mechanic that takes some getting used to. Like its predecessor, Higurashi, Umineko makes use of the "Fragments"; parallel universes in which similar events unfold, but ultimately lead to same conclusion: everyone's death. However, unlike Higurashi, half of the story is in a Meta-World, as the characters themselves watch the events and argue about what is actually going on on the "gameboard". It can be a little difficult to follow if one is not prepared for it.
The anime was adapted from a Visual Novel. Just like what happens when a movie is adapted from a book, many details from the Visual Novel were lost. For a piece from the mystery genre such as this, obviously this can cause problems if these details happened to become very important later on. The anime did not do so well in Japan because many people don't believe that the adaptation was faithful enough.
However American fans have the opportunity to experience the anime in a different way. Included in the package comes a "case file", with character sketches and bios, similar to the TIPS from the visual novels, as well as detailed tips about the various mysteries and puzzles. As someone who has played through both halves of Umineko (the anime only adapts the first) I know that these tips in the case file can definitely help fill in the gaps that the anime created and will point out the details that the viewer should be noticing and thinking about. It is just as filled with red herrings and it answers its own questions with more questions, so while it doesn't give away the truth, it helps one get there.
The animation is pretty and well done, and the voice acting is amazing. Ohara, the seiyuu for Beatrice, does an excellent performance which really helps the viewer connect to her character, the center of the mystery itself. The rest of the cast are all-stars, and will probably be familiar, especially to those who have seen Higurashi.
This item can be enjoyed by those who are fans of the source material, and those who are picking it up for the first time. Even those who have been put off by the japanese broadcasts of the anime can enjoy it with its new presentation. However, those watching this must not be opposed to having to think while watching the television. It is a murder mystery. The anime is based on "the question arcs" and so the anime asks a lot more questions than it answers. Those who prefer the killer be caught in an hour long episode will be dissapointed, but those who are willing to pursue the truth on his or her own will have a great game to play with this. However, I would very strongly reccommend picking up Umineko When They Cry Volume 2 Limited Edition Bluray which contains the last Fragment and 8 episodes of the series, which, while doesn't answer almost anything, at leasts tie all those mysteries together into one complete series.
Buy Umineko When They Cry Volume 1 - Limited Edition Bluray (2008) Now
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