Note: This will be a review for the entire series. Contain light spoilers.
2 days, 245 chapters. What happened? There is only one truth behind the scenes.
From the same author as Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, Ryukishi07 pumps out another series called "Umineko no Naku Koro Ni" which translates to “When the seagulls cry” as the third instalment for the "When they cry" series. As the title suggested, this series will not disappoint you.
Umineko introduces itself as a murder mystery, but of course, it's not that simple. Every time the murder happens, you will think to yourself, “that is interesting, I think I know who the imposter is and how they do it”, and when that happens, the story will shift away from what you think as far as possible. Every time you think this is it, it can’t be other reasons, it slipped away from your hands. That is the nature of Umineko, and it is remarkably well-thought.
What I like about Umineko is how it manages to go further from the main plot without losing its way back. There are eight arcs, and each arc is nearly completely different from the other. As the story goes, the story change from one to another and you can only wonder how the author pulled this off. In each arc, you are one step closer to the truth of what’s happening. It attracts you until the end, and without spoiling much, I could say this is a real rollercoaster. Normally when you read manga, there are ups and downs. In Umineko however, up is pretty much the only way. Each chapter increases its stake. Every time I think it couldn't go any further; it excels. There is no limit to this series, and the fact that they could end it beautifully is even more impressive.
Other than the genuine plot, Umineko also teach you about love and truth. Typical murder mystery often uses a clever trick of who and how to enhance its own story. Umineko, however, managed to go deeper than that. While mystery lovers will try to solve the mystery of the tragedy as fast as possible, Umineko will deny all your theories and say to you that “Without love, the truth cannot be seen”.
The other aspects of the series didn’t fall behind, too. As the story is originated in a visual novel form, I think the artist managed to captivate the atmosphere and essence of Umineko. It is detailed, visually stunning, and sometimes creepy. Some say that in episode 8, the story is even more organized than the visual novel. The answer becomes a lot clearer and makes much more sense. I never read the VN, so I can't say which is better.
Characters in Umineko may not be the strongest aspect, but that doesn’t stop it from becoming astonishing. This is bound to happen, as you read Umineko, you become more and more attracted to the cast. They were all likeable, and each person pretty much gets a development. Both protagonist and antagonist sides also played the role well.
Overall, Umineko no Naku Koro Ni is one of the most well-rounded series I’ve ever seen. It is thrilling, tragic, depressing, yet so lively, wholesome, and inspiring. Without a doubt, it turns into one of my favourite manga, and it deserves the rating it gets. Since I don’t want people to read a long review, I’ll end the review here.
This is only my point of view, so remember that people may have different tastes. If you don’t like this series, it’s okay. I didn’t write this to change everyone’s mind, and you can write the review on how this series is a trainwreck. Perhaps, two truths may exist at the same time…
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