Live Blogs Umineko Visual Novels : the Live But Delayed Blogination

Jhiday2010-12-09 10:48:55

[Note: this liveblog was originally published in the forum, starting in July 2009.]

Tonight, the anime version of Umineko No Naku Koro Ni will start being broadcasted. In anticipation for that, I've started looking into the original visual novel. Fortunately, it is quite easy to import, and the (unofficial, but authorized) English fantranslation project has recently caught up completely with the Japanese version.

So hey, perfect fodder for a Liveblogging thread.

Except it's not exactly "live". I've already started this on another forum a couple of weeks ago, so I'll be slightly reformating my initial comments. It'll still follow the spirit : each comment was written with no knowledge of what would come next.

I've gone into this relatively blind. I've (mostly) avoided any kind of spoilers. I know it's a supernatural murder mystery with a bunch of people trapped on a remote island, but not much else. I've already watched Higurashi No Naku Koro Ni, so I expect each chapter will be a different version of the same basic scenario, with more clues to the whole explanation. There will probably be some Kill Em All versions, and at least some gruesome murders. I certainly doubt the answer will be the same.

This thread should be spoiler-free for Higurashi (if I do go into that direction, I'll mark them clearly). Anyway, I don't expect many obvious link to Higurashi beyond thematic resonances. The few common characters to both series seem to use obscure codenames (I know there's someone called Bernkastel running around in the background or something, for example), so there shouldn't be much risk of unintentional spoilerage.

In your comments, try keeping spoilers to the minimum, especially on parts I've not watched yet. I'm currently starting episode 3, but I certainly have no idea what the heck is really going on.

[Edited to add : I'm now done with episode 6. I should start watching Ep 7 soon.]

Okay, let's start.

THE PREMISE

This is the annual reunion of the rich Ushiromiya family on their private island of Rokkenjima, in 1986.

The head of the family, Kinzo Ushiromiya (hereafter called "Grampa") doesn't have much time left to live, but certainly is taking his sweet time. His four children are squabbling over the inheritance. Their respective spouses (minus one, for some reason) and one child each are also there. Add to this five servants and the family physician, and you get a total of 18 people.

There's a weird rumor that Grampa's got tons of gold stashed somewhere, and that he's used it to build the family fortune. He's supposed to have obtained it from a "witch" called Beatrice. He worships her and has been supposedly dabbling in black magic. Anyway, he now lives as a recluse in his study, barely allowing anyone inside. (There's been various ghostly sightings of Beatrice among the staff over the years, who assuredly live in fear of her.)

The weather is very bad, making the island completely isolated. And then people start dying...

THE GAMEPLAY

This is a Visual Novel in the truest sense of the words : at least the first chapter is completely uninteractive. Your only action is to control the flow of the scrolling text. Behind the text (which takes the whole screen), you can see a background scenery of the room/place the scene happens, and usually some basic sprites of the people talking.

The When They Cry series are often called "sound novels", and it's accurate. The soundtrack is very well done, with appropriate sound effects, and average-to-quite-good music.

Also of note is the "Tips" menu : instead of random bits of background info presented as deleted scenes (like in the Higurashi VNs), it's just a collection of the various important (but cryptic) documents appearing in the plot. This way, you can go back to them at any time to give them another look.

There's also a diagram of the cast of characters, with short profiles, as a reference of who's who. It gets updated everytime someone dies or disappears.

THE CAST

By order of appearance, mostly. I'll add my initial impressions on their possible degree of culpability.

Warning : Grampa is in love of occidental culture (he made his fortune in the post-war occupation), and decided to give weirdly western-sounding names to his children, and the tradition has carried over to the grandchildren.

• Kinzo Ushiromiya : Grampa. See the premise for more details.

Obviously he's a key player. On the other hand, it would be far too simple for him to be orchestrating everything. Other agents are probably around to screw his plans.

• Doctor Nanjo : The family physician, and longtime friend of Grampa.

I wouldn't exclude him being in league with Grampa or whoever else, but it has a low probability. Maybe he's just there for the "character with medical knowledge" quota.

• Genji : Head servant of the Ushiromiya home, and Grampa's right hand man. The "reserved butler" archetype.

If he's involved, it's obviously by following Grampa's orders.

• Battler Ushiromiya : Our protagonist/POV character, at least for the first chapter. Son of the third child of Grampa. 18 years old, in high school. Thoroughly despises his father, who apparently remarried only instants after the death of his first wife, six years ago. Battler has been living with his maternal grandparents ever since, and is only coming back into the fold now that they're dead.

Battler is rash, outspoken, prone to bad jokes, but very far from stupid. There's been a mention of him having a little sister, but she's not here.

An ideal POV character : involved enough to remember various bits of backstory, but his long absence means he's completely out of touch with most recent events (as well as everything he was too young to be really aware of).

I really doubt he's an active conspirator for the murders. Maybe he'll pull a Keiichi and kill some people out of paranoid delusion, but some of the events are too well-planned to be just that. And we get too much into his head for him to be deceiving us.

• George Ushiromiya : The son of the second child of Grampa. Oldest of the "child" generation. 23 years old, already working as an apprentice. The ideal son, calm, soothing. Deeply respected by Battler.

I doubt he's involved much, but who knows ?

• Eva Ushiromiya : The second child of Grampa, George's mother. A sneaky bitch with a serpent tongue. Somehow, she's managed to keep her position in the family despite her marriage (We'll get more details later).

I wouldn't put it past her to be involved in some way, or to be plotting something.

• Hideyoshi Ushiromiya : Eva's husband and George's father. A cunning businessman who built his business from scratch. Affable, pleasant, and certainly far less stupid than his (fake) accent lets on.

I don't know. He'd obviously be following Eva if she was involved, but I don't see him as the instigator.

• Kyrie Ushiromiya : Battler's stepmother. Interestingly, he has a very healthy and pleasant relationship with her, considering her a Cool Big Sis.

Again, I don't know. She's very nice, but that doesn't mean anything in When They Cry. Also, she seems to have a very sharp mind.

• Rudolf Ushiromiya : Battler's father, and the third child of Grampa. A former (?) womanizer (it's implied his relationship with Kyrie predates his first wife's death), and overall not a very pleasant person (we're not told in what branch of business he works, but it seems a bit shady). The object of Battler's scorn, though he doesn't seem to mind that much.

Possible suspect, but nothing definite.

• Rosa Ushiromiya : The last child of Grampa. She seems to be quite nice and fading in the background, but her relationship with her daughter looks quite strained. Her husband is the only spouse absent to the reunion, with the implication that he left her a while ago.

You know what they say about sleeping water. Very high in my suspect list.

• Maria Ushiromiya : Rosa's daughter, 9 years old. A gothic lolita if I've ever seen one. Interested in black magic. Her childlish speech patterns get annoying very quickly (she aims for cute, and misses the mark), and not just to the reader (it's one of the reasons her mother Rosa is displeased with her).

Again, high on the suspect list, though maybe manipulated by someone else.

• Jessica Ushiromiya : Daughter of the first child of Grampa, and thus the heir of the family. She really doesn't care for it, though, and acts like a tomboy (though her speech patterns don't translate well).

I really doubt she's involved, but who knows ? Maybe she'll pull a Shion at some point.

• Kumasawa : The old family servant, and token gossip hen.

I'd be laughing extremely hard if she was the mastermind behind everything. Maybe she's an accessory, but I even doubt that.

• Gohda : The cook. Very professional, but distrusted by most of the staff : while they were all hired by Grampa, he's Krauss' man (the first son).

Maybe as an helper to Krauss, but that's it.

• Kanon : A young male servant. Orphan, and around 16 if I'm not mistaken. Very sullen, he barely talks at all and seems to have low self-esteem.

Following Grampa's orders, probably.

• Shannon : A young female servant, around Battler's age. A bit clumsy under pressure. It's not her real name : all those young orphan servants take one of those "xxxon" names while working.

Ditto.

• Natsuhi Ushiromiya : Wife of the first child of Grampa, and Jessica's mother. She seems to be in charge of the island mansion (since neither Grampa or her husband can be bothered). She has a perpetual headache, and obviously doesn't like her awkward position in the family.

Maybe as a support to Krauss, but I doubt it. She's too impulsive for this.

• Krauss Ushiromiya

Very high suspect, of course.

Next part : the first day of Episode 1, setting the stage for the tragedy.

Comments

PataHikari Since: Dec, 1969

Feb 3rd 2011 at 5:19:26 PM

I've been re-reading the episodes with this information in mind, I've done up to 3, so let's copy-past that info so far, here's my final statements on how they were done, I'll add in EP 4's once I finish that one.

First game, first twilight. Six corpses in the gardening shed. Illusions to illusions. The corpse that cannot return to earth returns to illusions. There are only five corpses. The fifth, "Shannon's" corpse, is a fake, either Hideyoshi is lying or he is mistaken.

First game, second twilight. Two corpses are close together in a closed room protected by a chain. Illusions to illusions. A chain of illusions can only hold back illusions. The room was never locked in the first place. Kanon cut the chain and claimed it was a closed room. Genji and Kumasawa collaborated.

First game, foruth twilight. The old Head from the closed room study, confined in a schorching furnace. Illusions to illusions. Let the man of illusions go to where he belongs. Kinzo has been dead for over a year. To create the illusion that he was murdered, his corpse had a stake driven through it, and his body burned.

First game, fifth twilight. The last moments of the sacrificed boy with a stake in his chest. Illusions to illusions. The witch and stake of illusions can pierce naught but illusions. Kanon was never murdered, the corpse was either fake or pretending to be dead. The blood was fake, it was all fake.

First game, sixth, seventh, and eighth twilights. Three corpses lying in the closed room of the singing girl. Illusions to illusions. Illusions are the blind girl's song. Illusion of a closed room. Yasu had the keys. She unlocked the door, and told Maria to sing as she sacrificed the three. There's a chance the corpses are fake, after all, the three are her accomplices.

Second game, first twilight. Six with their stomachs split in a closed room chapel. Illusions to illusions. The gold truth locks the lock of illusions The door was never locked in the first place.

Second game, second twilight. The corpses of the two who are close are not close. Illusions to illusions. Illusions who have fulfilled their role do not leave a corpse. Kanon died yet he leaves no corpse, because Yasu has no need for him anymore. She left Jessica behind and locked the door.

Second game, fourth, fifth, and sixth twilights. In Natsuhi's closed room, none are left alive. Earth to Earth. No one would dispute that a coffin is a closed room. The final stage, the game has ended, Shannon died, Yasu killed George and Gohda, and pretended to be dead. She left once the others had.

Second game, seventh and eighth twilights. The two sliced to death by the red-eyed phantom. Earth to Earth. Illusions to illusions. No Illusion can create a corpse. They were not killed in the servants room, they were killed later, but before George and Gohda died. They were made to look like the final sacrifices.

Third game, first twilight. Six corpses connected by the linked closed rooms. Illusions to illusions. In a closed room ring, the end and the beginning overlap. Yasu faked her death as Shannon, when the adults checked up on her and moved on, she ran over to the chapel as Kanon, and faked her death there.

Third game, second twilight. The corpses of mother and child lay togetheri in the rose garden. Earth to Earth. No falsehoods in their final moments told. Rosa and Eva have an argument about the gold, it gets heated, and Eva kills Rosa by accident. In her panic, she kills Maria as well.

Thrid game, fourth fifth and sixth twilights. Three corpses lying in the mansion. Earth to Earth. No falsehoods in their final moments told. Eva panicked and shot Kyrie and Rudolf, and Hideyoshi died accidentally.

Third game, seventh and eighth twilights. The corpses of husband and wife lay exposed under the arbor. Earth to Earth. The obvious culprit wields a mutable blade. Eva strangled them.

PataHikari Since: Dec, 1969

Feb 3rd 2011 at 5:37:24 PM

Oh yeah, and the non twilight mysteries.'

Episode 1:

Letter delivered to the study: One of the servants put it there, just as Natsuhi suspected

Natsuhi getting shot: Yasu shot her, took the unfired gun, and left her own to make it look like she had been shot with her own gun.

Episode 2:

The letter in the parlor: Rosa is an accomplice, she put it there and blamed Battler.

Episode 3:

George dying in Shannon's arms: Yasu "brought back" Shannon, to confess everything to George. Eva tried to kill her to silence her, but accidentally hit George. Yasu faked her death again. She put the number on the door to catch Battler's attention.

Dr. Nanjo's murder: He had been bought by Eva by this point, and Jessica was in danger. Yasu killed him to protect her, and led her to a safe place as "Kanon".

Jhiday Since: Dec, 1969

Feb 4th 2011 at 8:04:49 AM

Two notes on that :

• We never see Kanon's corpse in the first game (or any of the others, for that matter)
• We already discussed Shannon's corpse in the second game earlier : there's no way this could have been faked, and it's disingenuous to interpret the coffin line here as anything but confirming her death. I'd really have liked her to survive so that Battler didn't see Beatrice in a drunken hallucination too, but it's been conclusively disproved.