"...a story should be like a roller coaster. That is to say before writing a really cruel scene, I have to lift the people's spirits, for example, with a fun scene... Before writing a scene of pure despair, we must go through scenes of hope. And indeed, when I write, all of this amuses me very much."
- Sadist07
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Story: 10/10
A witch is born when human reasoning is incapable of explaining a mystery.
A witch is born out of the need for escape.
The previous episodes explained that the difference between reality and fantasy might only be paper-thin, at the same time only ever giving part of an increasingly
...
bleak truth. In the same way, Ryukishi07 never ceases to toy with the reader - exploiting the desire for a fantasy, making them see something which isn't really there.
Similar to Higurashi, only after reaching the ending does it become possible to appreciate the scale and intricacy of his work. At first glance, it seems that each episode of Umineko is 90% fiction and 10% fact, like a jigsaw puzzle where many of the tiles don't fit anywhere.
Or, it could also be compared to an onion, because I have no idea how he managed to include so many LAYERS BUT I'M CRYING ANYWAY.
Regardless, as fragments of 1986 are finally pieced together, it seems inevitable that the completed jigsaw is painted with a tragedy.
At first, each character's story throughout the series appears to relay a certain message: love is a source of madness which distorts the truth. Though somebody might want to live in a magical fantasy forever... eventually, it's time to grow up. It's a cold reality which is incompatible with the idea of a golden witch who you can blame all your problems on.
That's what this episode is really about - growing up without losing your magic. More than hunting down the truth in the previous episodes, this one confronts the need to overcome and accept the truth, instead of escaping to a blissful golden land when, really, you just died in a rather ugly way.
Beyond probability and fantasy, beyond delusions and forgeries, this episode remains a search for a golden land which shouldn't, by all logic and reasoning, be allowed to exist. The last game isn't just a sibling dispute between Ange and Battler - it's a war between 1986 and 1998.
And it's thrilling.
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Art: 8/10
Coming fresh out of the other episodes, the difference in art style can be a little jarring... but if you're binging then you might not notice, considering that some earlier episodes had the same artist. Character designs are still on-point (i.e. seriously adorable, the hell is this), backgrounds are comfortable as usual (i.e. so much class), and the highlight of this episode is probably one of the most satisfying punches ever thrown.
It's the grand finale.
It's the return of cats and crazy frog eyes.
The art is as cutesy as it is psychotic, but I wouldn't have it any other way.
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Characters: 10/10
The hallmark of a strong cast is the potential for a thirty-page essay to be written about the characters alone. Nobody would read it if I wrote one, though.
In this episode, the spotlight returns to our favourite shredded meat girl. There's a comparison to a child soldier who marches in single-minded pursuit of an obsession, eventually left with nothing but themselves - well, that sums up Ange nicely. Her story reveals the dangers of a fixation with only cold, callous logic.
Throughout the series, finding the truth of 1986 has meant rejecting all the fictitious fragments from the previous episodes. However, rather than rejection, this episode is a reconciliation between the witch of the future and the girl trapped in the past - and it's all tied to the idea that whatever lies on the jigsaw tiles isn't the whole truth. It's absolutely the truth, but there isn't just one truth.
Don't understand? Ange doesn't either. That's where all the other characters come in, and how all of their arcs link together to present the truth that she needs, not just the one that she wants.
At the end of the day, Umineko really isn't 90% fiction and 10% truth - in a sense, everything is real. An emotion which is never conveyed can be truth, whatever the reality may be... and with that realization, the second central message hidden in each character's arc finally begins to make sense:
"Without love, [the truth] cannot be seen."
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Enjoyment: 10/10
Honestly, Umineko is a must-read for anybody who wants to spend their time thinking for far too long. Eva, Maria, Shannon; though their stories seem to be unrelated at first, by the end it's clear that they were wrapped in layers of o̶n̶i̶o̶n̶ allegory. Unlike this review, many of these ideas are actually digestible.
For instance, the idea that it takes two to complete a universe - it's like the concept of a catbox and an observer. A story can't be completed if the writer is the only observer; somebody whose work is never seen isn't an author.
To create a story, you only need a writer. To complete it, you need somebody else to act as a reader. Otherwise, who knows whether or not the story actually exists? Like Schrodinger's cat, the truth only exists within your catbox, not outside of it.
Expanding on that idea of duality, this final arc of Umineko ultimately reveals that the entire series was not about a deathmatch between reality and fantasy, truth and lies, or love and hate - it was about reconciliation and acceptance.
It takes both truth and lies to approach the whole truth.
It takes a detective and a witch to protect a golden land.
"Without love, the truth cannot be seen."
"Love is a source of madness which paints over the ugly truth."
Are these two statements truly incompatible? Given Battler and Beatrice's positions in this episode, along with their actions throughout the series - actually, aren't these two ideas the same thing? That complex symbolism, that dichotomy and contrast and battle between two extremes, is really what makes Umineko so great.
It takes two to complete a universe. After all's said and done, isn't that the true central message of this series?
There are innumerable stories (at least 8) which can be uncovered through inference and deduction, and though they should never be a replacement for reality, neither should they be ignored. The truth may be ugly, and it may be reprehensible. However, if it isn't shared, then it remains forever locked within the catbox... and the infinite possibilities which arise?
They form Umineko.
 Alternative TitlesSynonyms: When Seagulls Cry Episode 8: Twilight of the Golden Witch Japanese: うみねこのなく頃に散 - Episode 8: Twilight of the Golden Witch More titlesInformationType: Manga
Volumes: 9
Chapters: 42
Status: Finished
Published: Jan 21, 2012 to Jun 22, 2015
Demographic:
Shounen
Serialization:
Gangan Joker Statistics Ranked: #232 2 based on the top manga page. Please note that 'R18+' titles are excluded. Popularity: #1108
Members: 16,799
Favorites: 1,544 Available AtResources | Reviews
Filtered Results: 11 / 12
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May 23, 2017
"...a story should be like a roller coaster. That is to say before writing a really cruel scene, I have to lift the people's spirits, for example, with a fun scene... Before writing a scene of pure despair, we must go through scenes of hope. And indeed, when I write, all of this amuses me very much."
- Sadist07 _____________________________________________________________________________ Story: 10/10 A witch is born when human reasoning is incapable of explaining a mystery. A witch is born out of the need for escape. The previous episodes explained that the difference between reality and fantasy might only be paper-thin, at the same time only ever giving part of an increasingly ... 
Jan 20, 2022
Umineko is unironically a peak fiction. No, really, it's undoubtedly the best literary work of the detective genre I’ve ever read (not just among manga, but in general), and I very much doubt any other story will surpass it.
This is, as you might have already guessed, a review for the Umineko manga as a whole, not just part 8 separately. It is also intended to be without spoilers. Ryukishi07 is a great writer. He also likes to do a little bit of trolling from time to time. These two aspects of him culminate in a work that has greatly written twists and turns. Twists so good, ... 
Nov 19, 2014
"We'll be together for all eternity"
Emotions are filling me up. Yet again I was able to experience the void of finishing something great. Due to ongoing of the manga, I had to read the original visual novel. It was long but worth reading. Story-9 Everything comes to the conclusion. Battler sets up the last game for Ange in order to show her other side of Ushiromiya family: kind, solicitous and loving. Why would he do that? Before answer is revealed, Bernkastel appears with something in mind. Knowing that she is the main antagonist, we can suspect that her intentions will not be good and nice. What is ... 
Oct 17, 2021
"Without Love, The Truth Cannot Be Seen"
If it wasn't for this, I could never reach till the end. I don't know what is inside in the mind of Ryukishi 07, but he really knows how to distort the minds of readers. He made distinct stories out of when they cry universe but in the end he collides them. But Umineko drifted away my heart, the tragic path of the characters especially the perpetrator who started all of this for the sake of LOVE. I have read heavy titles like Berserk, Punpun, Monster, 20CB, Pluto etc.. but Umineko dug my grave. This VN/Manga is ... 
Jan 3, 2022
Umineko Episode 8* is a masterclass, not a masterpiece. This work is flawed but because of those flaws it excels. Umineko has always been ambiguous in how it presents its story, giving the reader a fighting chance to solve its mystery. Whether you pick emotion or logic, either way, you come to your own conclusion.
Episode 8 prevails and exceeds in storytelling through closure and a rework of the visual novel that is easier to digest. While this section of the visual novel had actual selection during the Halloween party, culprit and end path, the manga does not. Instead opting for a another approach altogether ... 
Aug 14, 2022
I like this. It's really good.
I have no complaints. As far as the mystery goes, to my knowledge, everything that was introduced was explained with satisfying resolutions. Characters are also perfect. I felt that every action the characters made were within the realm of their personalities. They all felt like real people, at times they could be douche bags, and at other times they could be kind. The resolution of Ange's character arc was a masterclass in good endings. Best manga ever Read this(and the other parts). 20/10 easy ... 
Jul 18, 2022
Umineko is an absolute banger of a visual novel, and this manga ending makes it just as good, if not better.
The narrative of chapter 8 is one of the best writing i’ve ever seen from Ryukishi. There are so many reasons why this is considered one of the best VNs of all time. The themes on how to value your own life and look for a future, and sometimes you don’t necessarily have to know the truth, the power of faith, using that to acknowledge your past sins is brilliantly executed in this visual novel. I can ramble on and on about Umi for hours, but ... 
Feb 12, 2022
This will be a review for the entire Umineko series.
In my opinion, one of the most genuinely heartfelt praises one can bestow upon a work of fiction is “I don’t want this to be over.” I had this feeling hit me pretty strongly about three quarters of the way through Umineko When They Cry—which is saying a lot, given that the game took ~130 hours to complete. It is possibly my favourite work of fiction I’ve experienced, and cements my opinion that creator Ryukishi07 is a genius. Well… A genius who could benefit from an editor; but a genius nonetheless. It is a complex, mystifying, ... 
Jan 1, 2024
*Umineko: Understanding the Heart*
~Written last December 2022~ Just like how there is no unsolvable mystery, there are no well-written stories that couldn't be understood without effort, thought, and time. Such is the same with humans, I would like to continuously earnestly believe and eventually experience. Fiction transcends dimensions and planes to deliver messages for creatures living life, and what ties the two worlds together in a heavenly connection are the authors who put their hearts out in the open and pour the world's ocean with their souls, and the pulse of humanity continues to beat. Their life is that of realizations, their minds a vehicle for change. Their ... 
Oct 27, 2021
This series is one hell of a ride, and I would recommend it to anyone. However, is the journey itself better than the conclusion?
***THIS REVIEW WILL CONTAIN SPOILERS*** As far as being the final ending, I guess it was kind of a given that the people on the island weren't going to magically come back to life, but the fantastical and often over-the-top nature of the series certainly wouldn't rule out such a miracle. The real reason is that this series is a tragedy more than anything, and I can't help but consider that to be lazy writing. Think about it, the series basically ends with ...
Dec 23, 2022
I will not give any spoilers and while I would love to review all 8 chapters of Umineko, that is a pain so I am just gonna leave my review on the final episode, episode 8, which is my favorite episode.
My journey into Umineko began when my two friends suggested it to me but it took me forever to really start. I started with the VN, and my friends told me it was roughly 150 hours long. I looked it up and it literally has more words than the Bible, one and a half Bibles to be exact. So I took my time getting into ... |
