Umineko no Naku Koro ni, or "When the Seagulls Cry", is a manga adaptation of of a visual novel by 07th Expansion, written by the same author, Ryuukishi07, whose work include Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, another horror, mystery story in a similar vein. However, I urge fans of the latter to come into Umineko with little expectations, not because I don't think the story will live up to it, but because Umineko is such an odd beast that it is very unlikely to fit to anything the viewer could expect. Umineko is a cluster of genres, ideas and deconstructions that it is difficult to
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recommend at times due to how dense and obtuse it can be. However, those who give it a fair shot may find something entirely original with bold ideas and bizarre premise.
Story (7):
Despite the bizarreness of the series as a whole, the first episode is comparatively very traditional. It starts with a simple premise: "A cast of character is trapped in a relatively small area and people begin dying." Legend of the Golden Witch is the most traditionally horror story in the series, and is almost a (very long) prologue in retrospect. The characters are introduced but (mostly) undeveloped, the questions the story poses remain unanswered, and it ends without a clear resolution. That isn't to say the plot is bad however, far from it. Its simple premise allows for excellent execution. The tone and atmosphere are consistent and effective. And, due to its brevity, the horror aspects remain oppressive throughout. I will say that Umineko is a series that does not like giving answers, so readers who want to stay for the long run better start taking notes if they want their questions resolved. Of course, finding an answer is a lost cause in a fantasy setting, and there lies the central question of the early arcs: "Is Umineko a fantasy or mystery story?"
Characters (8):
The cast of characters are varied and unique, if rather mostly undeveloped at this point. The protagonist, Ushiromiya Battler is, at this point, the somewhat traditional male teenager protagonist: He's passionate, perverted, stubborn and clever when the situation calls for it. Battler does go through some development during this episode, being torn between suspecting his relatives and denying the existence of a witch. This makes for an interesting dilemma and sets up his position for later arcs nicely. His siblings, at this point, are the traditional mature big brother and hotheaded tomboy trope. The adults, however, show hints of greater complexity, and while getting deeper may hints at spoilers, suffice to say it becomes more difficult to label them with any single trope. Of course, in these sorts of setting, the morality and nobility of the characters are tested, and I believe that they react in believable and sometimes sympathetic ways. Paranoia and guilt plagues the cast and how they adapt to the horrors around them is a joy to see.
Adaptation (7) :
(for those familiar with the source material, no spoilers here however)
I will say this: those of you who have played through the original materials and have found all the answers will have little reason to read the manga adaptation of the first episode unless you want to see certain scenes in a more visual format (because obviously the anime is a mess and isn't worth your time). However, if, like me, you have played through the visual novel once without finding all the answers but isn't too keen on going through the exact same thing again, the manga is a great place to go through the story again in a different format. It is still a pity that the adaptation of the first episode has so little that the source material does not, but at least it is a faithful adaptation (unlike the anime), if not an ambitious one. I personally find the art at the beginning rather off-putting but either the artist got better or I got used to it because I found little to complain about in the latter part. It is also a plus that the manga has no obligation to censor the more disturbing scenes, which is one thing it has over the source material. That said, some scenes are just not the same without the visual novel's stellar soundtrack accompanying them, but really there is noway around that. Even so, the horror aspects are diminished somewhat by the lack of sound, arguably the strongest contributor to atmosphere, or the iconic sound effects used throughout the source material.
Overall:
As a long prologue to the overall story, Legend of the Golden Witch may not be as strong as the other arcs, comparatively lacking in both character development and resolution. However, it makes up for it with a concise and effective horror story and setting up the characters nicely. As a prologue, the first arc does a very find job of setting up the scene, allowing for later arcs to take off. Judging Legend by its own merits, it is a simple yet effective and atmospheric story filled with creepy moments and surprises.
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Aug 19, 2015
Umineko no Naku Koro ni, or "When the Seagulls Cry", is a manga adaptation of of a visual novel by 07th Expansion, written by the same author, Ryuukishi07, whose work include Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, another horror, mystery story in a similar vein. However, I urge fans of the latter to come into Umineko with little expectations, not because I don't think the story will live up to it, but because Umineko is such an odd beast that it is very unlikely to fit to anything the viewer could expect. Umineko is a cluster of genres, ideas and deconstructions that it is difficult to
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