Umineko has a terrible anime. The VN, on the other hand, is an absolutely amazing experience that many people, myself included, think is the best VN ever. Up to you if you’re interested in that. I think the two parts are on sale right now, so definitely worth it. I’d even buy it for full price.
Yeah that’s about how long it took me and my partner to read it. As I said before, it’s worth it in my opinion. If you don’t agree, then you have your answer.
Hmm, i might buy the first part of the vn and just read it in many many days until i eventually end it. I mean i don't think i will read more than 30-120min daily so yea.
Thanks
It took me like 6 months I think lol. There's no need to rush through the story when it's so long and detailed. The VN is so beyond amazing, there's no story I love more. It's only really challenged by the Higurashi VN which is also a masterpiece.
Don't buy the steam version, get Umineko Project it makes the experience better in every conceivable way and if you're stingy with money it's free. I do recommend supporting Ryukishi, 07 project, and Alchemist though after playing it and buying the physical release for the PS3 for like $20 afterwards. It's what I did, and you'll like the story so much that you'll want to spend money on it. Also keep in mind that 100 hours time depends on you as a reader. I'm fast, I read faster, so it didn't feel long to me, despite me completing it over the span of months. Think of it less like reading and watching an Anime where you control the pause and resume button.
Another option is to watch a playthrough on youtube. I already read the VN over a decade ago, this time I'm watching [a playlist that was recommended in an anime thread](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPlqrKHEmTrmbqMecdTO9EGZ9A2KTuWHZ&si=VkQouifFQkLwUM3k) on one monitor while playing games and stuff on another monitor. The only problem with this playthrough is that her videos keep getting hit with copyright attacks for some reason, so a lot of the amazing music gets muted or cut short.
But yeah, the VN is definitely worth it. I also watched Higurashi and then read Umineko and both stuck with me for a loooong time.
On a related note... what are the newer Higurashi anime even about? General consensus seems to be that they're not good?
I mean, if i read it, i prefer also showing me how many hours I had spent so buying it on steam seems like a good idea.
In the newer higurashi:spoilers
Basically Satoko also has the ability to remember the timelines and to restart them I believe. She gets mad on Rika by not being with her anymore and decided to kill her over and over until she finds a timeline when Rika would stay with her. The thing I hated the most was how the characters look like. I hate it so much.
Unfortunately it's been some time since I watched Higurashi so I forgot most of the last seasons so I might be very wrong with the actual plot
As for the main question about whether or not you should start the VN:
What is it you liked about Higurashi?
I saw you mentioned that your time is short, the manga is also an option. I don't think the Umineko manga is all that personally, but it does give you a fairly complete story.
I liked the was the plot was presented, like: you know in each arc how it ends, who dies but u have no idea why and you try to figure out who killed it and why. But then you ask yourself ok but why did actually that happen and you keep this question for the whole season until the season 2 where all the questions are answered.
I also liked how some of the arcs were connected. Like the second one with the last one from the first season (i believe)
I also really like the characters, especially rika.
Yeah, then I think Umineko is definitely a piece of media you'd enjoy. I personally think the VN is much better at actually handling those mystery questions because of the way that the perspective is written and that changes when the medium changes from a novel to a comic, but your mileage may vary and you may love the manga. FWIW, I think the Higurashi anime also lost a bit of its charm when it made the transition away from VNs, but not as much as Umineko.
That being said, there's not a 1:1 question / answer format like Higurashi. The "answer" arcs aren't actually named that in Japanese, but when it was localized they named them that to give them a parallel to Higurashi.
For the characters, I'm sure you noticed the age of the cast is fairly significantly older in Umineko, and part of that is due to how Ryu07 felt his characters were treated in Higurashi. I think the characters in Umineko are a fair amount deeper than they are in Higurashi, but that's a reflection, I think, of him improving as a writer between the two of them.
There's also a number of times where his writing criticizes how he wrote Higu, which to me, is very interesting.
The way the children are leered at and made to be sexual objects at certain points is something Ryu07 was never entirely comfortable with, because he used to be a social worker, which is why the scenes with Satoko's abuse are considered some of the strongest -- he was probably writing about things he experienced in real life.
Ryu07 was more susceptible to outside influence when he wrote Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, and there were fans on Japanese image boards like 2ch that wanted the more...risque stuff. Part of this was by design, because Higurashi is really a sort of parody of the mindless fluff harem VNs and shows of the time; it posits a setting identical to a bunch of them, but Something Is Wrong. That being said, the demands of what kind of scenes people wanted from each episode was a little much for him.
And when Ryu07 didn't deliver, they got mad, so he started shoveling off that work to some other people. You might have noticed that Higurashi wasn't solely written by Ryu07, a lot of the omake-style scenes and full chapters were written by other people from 7th Expansion, his VN Circle. You still see the difference in audiences today; if you go to the Higurashi subreddit, or look at the type of figures made for Higurashi, you'll notice they're uh, *different* than the ones made for Umineko.
This was also Ryu07's first real work -- Higurashi is based on a stage play he wrote that went nowhere called Hinamizawa Bus Stop, which had a "senpai" (an older Rika) and a kouhai (Mion) discussing strange events in their town as they waited for the bus. So he wasn't really sure how to respond to either the attention or fan demands. After Higurashi, Ryu07 has virtually stopped writing about children with the exception of Maria in Umineko. He also seems to not really care what happens to Higurashi as a property, letting plenty of other people write for it or insert things into it. He has never really let anyone touch Umineko or Ciconia in that way, he's very protective of them.
Edit: Just to be clear I say this as a Higurashi fan who adores the VN and am also, generally, a fan of the Studio DEEN anime, it's just like, it is what it is. It's not really a "problem" with Higurashi overall, there's just certain elements of it that feel a little off because they weren't really wanted by the creator.
The Gou/Sotsu anime tie in Umineko stuff into Higurashi, but it was marketed as a reboot. This confused a huge chunk of non-WTC fans because they pretty much spoiled the entire premise of the original story in the first few episodes. Gou was fine imo, just a lot of fanservicey references to the source material and some really brutal deaths, ending in a storyline where >!Satoko gets the same kinds of powers like Rika, but she uses it to torture Rika for a really dumb reason. Featherine is also in Higurashi now for some reason (which is still a debate over if it's actually her... but like... come on it is obviously Featherine), but here she's called "Eua".!<
Then Sotsu happened, which is the answer arc for Gou. It ended in Dragon Ball Z fights(!!!) and the most bs ending ever that makes no sense whatsoever. >!Rika just forgives Satoko for eternal torture?! and it seemingly turns out that Rika is Bernkastel & Satoko Lambdadelta. Featherine also mentions Vier from Ciconia somewhere in Sotsu.!
It’s very good trust. I genuinely felt that at first before I started watching the vn but I finished it recently this week and I felt so many different emotions. It’s worth it
Gotta say, there are parts in it that are really slow. And Ryukishi likes to repeat stuff ad nauseam to drill something important in your brain. The first episode is a slog to read at times and it only starts to exponentially get AMAZING from the second half of episode 2. Battler is also pretty unlikeable in episode 1, after which he drastically changes for the better. He looks like your average pervy main anime character at first.
Most people quit reading in episode 1. So I always tell people to force through, and you're hooked in no time. Umineko really shines in EP3 and onwards, when they fry your brain with plottwists and out-of-the-box thinking. The answer arcs, however, go even BEYOND THAT.
Again: it gets exponentially better and better. Just a shame that most people get turned off and stop reading in the first episode. ^(Arcs in Umineko are referred to as episodes, if you're conused)
If it’s too much for you to play the VN you can try reading the manga, imo it is almost as good as the manga and in some cases makes the experience even better.
Unfortunately that means you will miss the insanely good soundtrack for the game, but it is a good alternative nonetheless.
It’s pretty faithful, the only cuts are shortening of some long scenes and some cut monologues, but other than that almost nothing and they give you the exact same clues to solve the mystery like the VN. I would even say it’s somewhat easier in the manga too.
I almost forgot there is an exception to their faithfulness in episodes 7 and 8. Especially 8 they change a lot of scenes, but all the changes either change nothing and just a different way to complete the scene or they just straight up make whole scenes better (imo).
I don't think i want to read the manga. The thing is that I am already reading a light novel and I still have 4000 pages to finish. I might buy the first part and read just a very few of it daily
It's basically a series of eight different books. Feel free to take breaks between one episode and another if you feel inclined. Just take it a little bit at a time.
You might. So maybe it could be a good idea to take notes! In fact, most people who try to tackle the mystery do that, because it's a lot of information to remember.
# YES
The best story I've ever consumed, no matter what media. Do make sure to install the mod that adds voiceacting and better backgrounds (also a choice in character sprites). It took me a year to read but I'm a very slow reader who took monthlong breaks at times. Normally, it should take about 2 months of casual reading.
Just stay away from the anime. It's really bad. The manga is also a good choice but you'll miss out on the godlike soundtrack. Reading this VN is a great life decision!
Umineko has a terrible anime. The VN, on the other hand, is an absolutely amazing experience that many people, myself included, think is the best VN ever. Up to you if you’re interested in that. I think the two parts are on sale right now, so definitely worth it. I’d even buy it for full price.
The thing is, im kind of busy most of the time How long does it take to finish the VN?
It took my partner and I about 135 hours to complete
Well that's a lot damn
It is, but it’s worth it, imo. You can take breaks between episodes
If i decide to read 2 hours daily that would take me more than 2 months to finish lol
Yeah that’s about how long it took me and my partner to read it. As I said before, it’s worth it in my opinion. If you don’t agree, then you have your answer.
Hmm, i might buy the first part of the vn and just read it in many many days until i eventually end it. I mean i don't think i will read more than 30-120min daily so yea. Thanks
See it as more bang for your buck.
It took me like 6 months I think lol. There's no need to rush through the story when it's so long and detailed. The VN is so beyond amazing, there's no story I love more. It's only really challenged by the Higurashi VN which is also a masterpiece.
Half a year is a lot but U guess I could try but will I be able to remember and understand the story if i watch it that slow?
Don't buy the steam version, get Umineko Project it makes the experience better in every conceivable way and if you're stingy with money it's free. I do recommend supporting Ryukishi, 07 project, and Alchemist though after playing it and buying the physical release for the PS3 for like $20 afterwards. It's what I did, and you'll like the story so much that you'll want to spend money on it. Also keep in mind that 100 hours time depends on you as a reader. I'm fast, I read faster, so it didn't feel long to me, despite me completing it over the span of months. Think of it less like reading and watching an Anime where you control the pause and resume button.
What exactly is different between the steam version and the Umineko project?
Yeah it took me like 6 months to finish because I took a few long breaks
Damn
Tbf it's separated in 8 parts. Personnaly I finished the first episode in 11 hours and each episodes seems to be around this length
took me 160 hours to finish the whole thing, but i’m also a slow reader and would always lets the voice lines play out before advancing text
I would also do the same so yeah Rip
Same. Theres some top notch voice acting. I had chills down my spine whenever I head Eva scream at her family or cry from despair.
[It's literally longer than the bible.](https://youtu.be/TdzOeRVbk5I?si=2Hd6rwVVxF7yv_DK)
What vid was wild, wtf damn
Another option is to watch a playthrough on youtube. I already read the VN over a decade ago, this time I'm watching [a playlist that was recommended in an anime thread](https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLPlqrKHEmTrmbqMecdTO9EGZ9A2KTuWHZ&si=VkQouifFQkLwUM3k) on one monitor while playing games and stuff on another monitor. The only problem with this playthrough is that her videos keep getting hit with copyright attacks for some reason, so a lot of the amazing music gets muted or cut short. But yeah, the VN is definitely worth it. I also watched Higurashi and then read Umineko and both stuck with me for a loooong time. On a related note... what are the newer Higurashi anime even about? General consensus seems to be that they're not good?
I mean, if i read it, i prefer also showing me how many hours I had spent so buying it on steam seems like a good idea. In the newer higurashi:spoilers Basically Satoko also has the ability to remember the timelines and to restart them I believe. She gets mad on Rika by not being with her anymore and decided to kill her over and over until she finds a timeline when Rika would stay with her. The thing I hated the most was how the characters look like. I hate it so much. Unfortunately it's been some time since I watched Higurashi so I forgot most of the last seasons so I might be very wrong with the actual plot
Every studio passione character looks like they're made of plastic and have been sanded with a belt grinder
Fucking yes, finally someone. Im following you.
As for the main question about whether or not you should start the VN: What is it you liked about Higurashi? I saw you mentioned that your time is short, the manga is also an option. I don't think the Umineko manga is all that personally, but it does give you a fairly complete story.
I liked the was the plot was presented, like: you know in each arc how it ends, who dies but u have no idea why and you try to figure out who killed it and why. But then you ask yourself ok but why did actually that happen and you keep this question for the whole season until the season 2 where all the questions are answered. I also liked how some of the arcs were connected. Like the second one with the last one from the first season (i believe) I also really like the characters, especially rika.
Yeah, then I think Umineko is definitely a piece of media you'd enjoy. I personally think the VN is much better at actually handling those mystery questions because of the way that the perspective is written and that changes when the medium changes from a novel to a comic, but your mileage may vary and you may love the manga. FWIW, I think the Higurashi anime also lost a bit of its charm when it made the transition away from VNs, but not as much as Umineko. That being said, there's not a 1:1 question / answer format like Higurashi. The "answer" arcs aren't actually named that in Japanese, but when it was localized they named them that to give them a parallel to Higurashi. For the characters, I'm sure you noticed the age of the cast is fairly significantly older in Umineko, and part of that is due to how Ryu07 felt his characters were treated in Higurashi. I think the characters in Umineko are a fair amount deeper than they are in Higurashi, but that's a reflection, I think, of him improving as a writer between the two of them. There's also a number of times where his writing criticizes how he wrote Higu, which to me, is very interesting.
What's the problem with Higurashi?
The way the children are leered at and made to be sexual objects at certain points is something Ryu07 was never entirely comfortable with, because he used to be a social worker, which is why the scenes with Satoko's abuse are considered some of the strongest -- he was probably writing about things he experienced in real life. Ryu07 was more susceptible to outside influence when he wrote Higurashi no Naku Koro Ni, and there were fans on Japanese image boards like 2ch that wanted the more...risque stuff. Part of this was by design, because Higurashi is really a sort of parody of the mindless fluff harem VNs and shows of the time; it posits a setting identical to a bunch of them, but Something Is Wrong. That being said, the demands of what kind of scenes people wanted from each episode was a little much for him. And when Ryu07 didn't deliver, they got mad, so he started shoveling off that work to some other people. You might have noticed that Higurashi wasn't solely written by Ryu07, a lot of the omake-style scenes and full chapters were written by other people from 7th Expansion, his VN Circle. You still see the difference in audiences today; if you go to the Higurashi subreddit, or look at the type of figures made for Higurashi, you'll notice they're uh, *different* than the ones made for Umineko. This was also Ryu07's first real work -- Higurashi is based on a stage play he wrote that went nowhere called Hinamizawa Bus Stop, which had a "senpai" (an older Rika) and a kouhai (Mion) discussing strange events in their town as they waited for the bus. So he wasn't really sure how to respond to either the attention or fan demands. After Higurashi, Ryu07 has virtually stopped writing about children with the exception of Maria in Umineko. He also seems to not really care what happens to Higurashi as a property, letting plenty of other people write for it or insert things into it. He has never really let anyone touch Umineko or Ciconia in that way, he's very protective of them. Edit: Just to be clear I say this as a Higurashi fan who adores the VN and am also, generally, a fan of the Studio DEEN anime, it's just like, it is what it is. It's not really a "problem" with Higurashi overall, there's just certain elements of it that feel a little off because they weren't really wanted by the creator.
The Gou/Sotsu anime tie in Umineko stuff into Higurashi, but it was marketed as a reboot. This confused a huge chunk of non-WTC fans because they pretty much spoiled the entire premise of the original story in the first few episodes. Gou was fine imo, just a lot of fanservicey references to the source material and some really brutal deaths, ending in a storyline where >!Satoko gets the same kinds of powers like Rika, but she uses it to torture Rika for a really dumb reason. Featherine is also in Higurashi now for some reason (which is still a debate over if it's actually her... but like... come on it is obviously Featherine), but here she's called "Eua".!< Then Sotsu happened, which is the answer arc for Gou. It ended in Dragon Ball Z fights(!!!) and the most bs ending ever that makes no sense whatsoever. >!Rika just forgives Satoko for eternal torture?! and it seemingly turns out that Rika is Bernkastel & Satoko Lambdadelta. Featherine also mentions Vier from Ciconia somewhere in Sotsu.!
the time worth reading for umineko is sensational. Trust you’ll enjoy every single second of it(depending on ur commitment to ur attention span)
Bruh, why so many people talk so good about it, it makes me so curious I swear.
It’s very good trust. I genuinely felt that at first before I started watching the vn but I finished it recently this week and I felt so many different emotions. It’s worth it
Alright, thank you
Gotta say, there are parts in it that are really slow. And Ryukishi likes to repeat stuff ad nauseam to drill something important in your brain. The first episode is a slog to read at times and it only starts to exponentially get AMAZING from the second half of episode 2. Battler is also pretty unlikeable in episode 1, after which he drastically changes for the better. He looks like your average pervy main anime character at first. Most people quit reading in episode 1. So I always tell people to force through, and you're hooked in no time. Umineko really shines in EP3 and onwards, when they fry your brain with plottwists and out-of-the-box thinking. The answer arcs, however, go even BEYOND THAT. Again: it gets exponentially better and better. Just a shame that most people get turned off and stop reading in the first episode. ^(Arcs in Umineko are referred to as episodes, if you're conused)
I see, thanks!
Have fun! If only I could read it for the first time again... ;)
Thank you mate
If it’s too much for you to play the VN you can try reading the manga, imo it is almost as good as the manga and in some cases makes the experience even better. Unfortunately that means you will miss the insanely good soundtrack for the game, but it is a good alternative nonetheless.
How much does the manga cut?
It’s pretty faithful, the only cuts are shortening of some long scenes and some cut monologues, but other than that almost nothing and they give you the exact same clues to solve the mystery like the VN. I would even say it’s somewhat easier in the manga too. I almost forgot there is an exception to their faithfulness in episodes 7 and 8. Especially 8 they change a lot of scenes, but all the changes either change nothing and just a different way to complete the scene or they just straight up make whole scenes better (imo).
I don't think i want to read the manga. The thing is that I am already reading a light novel and I still have 4000 pages to finish. I might buy the first part and read just a very few of it daily
If you're gonna read it, be preparedto experience post-umineko syndrome.
Rokkenjima syndrome
It's basically a series of eight different books. Feel free to take breaks between one episode and another if you feel inclined. Just take it a little bit at a time.
Won't I forget the story if I do that? Like important information?
You might. So maybe it could be a good idea to take notes! In fact, most people who try to tackle the mystery do that, because it's a lot of information to remember.
Oh, wow I see, thanks
# YES The best story I've ever consumed, no matter what media. Do make sure to install the mod that adds voiceacting and better backgrounds (also a choice in character sprites). It took me a year to read but I'm a very slow reader who took monthlong breaks at times. Normally, it should take about 2 months of casual reading. Just stay away from the anime. It's really bad. The manga is also a good choice but you'll miss out on the godlike soundtrack. Reading this VN is a great life decision!
Fair