The Umineko no Naku Koro ni anime (hereafter just "Umineko") does a couple of things very well. The premise itself is a classic "And Then There Were None" motif with a supernatural twist that is mostly a welcome addition. The pacing is quite good; there is just enough action to keep things moving, and generally the dialogue doesn't bog the show down. The soundtrack contributes greatly to the tension and suspense, and the allover mysterious atmosphere of the show and a number of the characters (particularly the witches) makes it easy to stay interested. If you're watching for the first time, you will definitely be curious to see what happens next, provided you can stomach the violence. (This series definitely holds one, if not several, contenders for the title of Anime's Craziest Death.)
The vast majority of the characters are little more than character designs with names; they have simple motives (love, money, power), and simple connections to one another (family, lovers, etc.). I'm generally really turned-off by flat characters, but this works for Umineko as most of the people on Rokkenjima (as well as the witches' "furniture") are basically pawns on a chessboard. It's the game being played that is important, not the pieces on the board.
The first three "episodes" (which are more like mini-arcs but are perhaps better thought of as rounds in a game) are fairly well put together and enticing. This creates a non-linear story line, which was simultaneously intriguing and frustrating. It adds multiple dimensions to the plot, offering alternative scenarios and sometimes exposing questionable motives or allegiances (again, this is definitely true of the witches, but also of Kinzo, Eva and Rosa). On the other hand, multiple outcomes obscure the truth, which is part of the point, but makes for a sometimes irritating viewing experience.
Things start to fall apart during the final round, though, as the story diverts in a new direction. Without revealing any spoilers, I'll say that a number of new characters are inserted in the final few episodes, right as the climax begins to build, and diverts the story away from Battler's struggle with Beatrice and the murders occurring on Rokkenjima. As a result, there is very little worthwhile buildup to the final confrontation, which ended up being immensely anti-climactic. These episodes seem to bear the message that magic is what you make of it, but this is extremely muddled with the utter confusion created by the new characters and their interactions. Aside from offering some redemption for Maria, the final round of the game felt woefully incomplete to me, and be warned, the ending is far from conclusive or satisfying.
In short, I liked this series for its intriguing premise and found it thought-provoking and interesting. I did not like the mess of loose plot ends left at the conclusion and the confusing and arguably pointless side quest during the final act. If you are looking for a series with soulful characters, an unambiguous plot with a clear delineation between good and evil, a conclusive outcome, and little to no gruesome deaths or violence, I'd suggest you pass on this. Despite this, I certainly don't feel that this series is guilty of being the pernicious garbage I'd come to expect from its reputation. Umineko will never end up on my list of favorites, but I'm glad I gave it a shot.
