UMINEKO NO NAKU KORO NI EPISODE 2: TURN OF THE GOLDEN WITCH

DESCRIPTION

CAST

CHAPTERS

MANGA ComedyUmineko no Naku Koro ni Episode 1: Legend of the Golden Witch
MANGA DramaUmineko no Naku Koro ni Episode 3: Banquet of the Golden Witch
ANIME DramaUmineko no Naku Koro ni
MANGA ComedyUmineko no Naku Koro ni Tsubasa

REVIEWS

• 

  Krankastel

  70/100
  Part II: when the witch intends to make you surrender all at once.

  “The witch expects a lot from you, and is more than ready to launch an assault right from the start. I also look forward to seeing your strategy.”

  Those lines belong to the visual novel and correspond to the option of playing Turn of the Golden Witch. Why mention them? Because they summarize well what is being introduced to Umineko’s formula.

  Note: nothing here can be considered a spoiler.

  ---

  __[1. Let's elaborate with an introduction.]__

  After Legend of the Golden Witch introduced the whodunit mystery element of the narrative, the readers were also barely initiated to two other elements as well:

  • The fantasy element is connected to the Endless Witch Beatrice herself coming to the spotlight. Unlike her previous ambiguous presence, she confronts Battler flesh-and-bone (or is it) in the “tea party” and poses him an intellectual challenge. And Battler agrees, his goal being to disprove the existence of magic, whereas Beatrice intends to make him accept witchcraft as behind everything. For more, see section [2.b].

  • As for the metafictional one: this conflict between Battler and Beatrice takes place to a parallel plane of existence, from which both can observe the events of 4 October 1986 on Rokkenjima, where the serial murders repeat on different circumstances. As such, the island whodunit acts as an embedded story to the one of the parallel plane. I cannot tell more, for some things are best experienced or in our case, deduced.

  Episode 2 builds upon those foundations, essential in order for the overarching narrative to function as ultimately intended.

  ---

  __[2. And on the story...]__

  [2.a] Τhe narrative begins with an extended flashback, before the events of 4th of October and focuses on a romantic subplot, that builds on certain characters' personalities and joint chemistries, and sets a solid foundation for later parts.

  And gradually, this subplot transits to the 4th of October, involving preparations for the family’s annual meeting at both meta and island level. Retracing to my Episode 1 review, I had mentioned how mothers assume main roles in parts of this story. For the current episode, the torch passes to Ushiromiya Rosa, a little more on section [3].

  [2.b] And on to Rokkenjima events, where the highlight is the intrusion of fantasy elements that complicate matters and raise the difficulty bar of the mystery.

  Retracing to section [1.], Battler must deny the existence of magic while Beatrice aims to making him accepting it. To do so, he needs to debate with her and solve individual mysteries, be it locked rooms, bizarre circumstances, etc. Yet she wastes no time or energy in crushing his reasoning, making resistance seem futile. Those parts are entertaining, to say the least, as well as an exciting mental challenge for the reader/player.

  

  Often employed by both opponents is twisted logic, however: as abusing it could lead to stalemates and to an unfair treatment of both Battler and the readers, Beatrice introduces a tool named the Red Truth. When a surefire truth is to be spoken, it is said in red letters. Of course, Beatrice uses that tool in crafty ways, yet nonetheless readers/players can more easily challenge the witch and solve the puzzles.

  ---

  __[3. Continuing with characters...]__

  As mentioned in section [2.a], certain characters receive more focus and as such, more needed development. The romantic pairings in particular show elements of potentially star-crossed lovers, their relationships complicated by both intrapersonal and interpersonal factors, as well as the involvement of Beatrice. Ushiromiya Rosa is also among the main cast, her complicated relationship with her atypical daughter and occult savant Maria as well as her own personality being equally important to the narrative’s progression.

  Needless to say perhaps, the star of the cast is Beatrice. Cruel, whimsical, playful, majestic are only some of the words one can use to describe her. She’s one stellar antagonist, with a larger-than-life presence and highly entertaining dialogues. And this episode is not even the tip of the iceberg for her highly dynamic and multilayered character. As for Battler, he does not falter way too behind. He remains determined and passionate yet also rational and quick-witted, and despite being at a severe disadvantage he is trying to use his reasoning to plow his way through Beatrice’s trolling and games and pin her down, alongside invested readers/players who vouch for his victory. And given the odds, he certainly can stand his ground.

  I’m obliged to be fair though, and note that not all characters receive development and those who do don’t display too much depth, at this stage the narrative focuses elsewhere. However, there are still interesting and entertaining moments involving even less developped ones, and next episodes are going to uncover more layers of characters.

  ---

  __[4. And closing with artwork...]__

  I prefer the current artwork to that of Episode 1. Character designs are more polished and there is a bigger ratio of highly memorable scenes (the one below is among my favorites). Expressions remain one of the highlights, especially mocking but also some fiendish ones.

  

  And of course, lovely horror scenes. Hey did I mention that this episode fits like a glove with Halloween doubly than the previous one? Won't be hard to find out why. Outside those aspects, the mere presence of Red Truth elevates the artwork, for sentences spoken/written are highlighted in bright red text.

  One of the drawbacks of artwork are backgrounds though, as many often lack enough detail, being merely functional rather than rich enough. Also, sometimes characters at long distances can miss key details here and then. Nonetheless, the artist more than makes up with portraying poignant scenes with exactly what is required at a given time.

  Hope you enjoyed my review!
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• 

  RoseFaerie

  90/100
  A distinct improvement from the first part, which allows the interpersonal relationships to shine.

  The first part of Umineko was promising for me. While I didn't love everything about it, I thought it showed promise. I assumed that the first part was to set the stage for the parts to come, and I was more than correct. This isn't just a mere alternate version of the previous events. It also provides a lot of insight into the characters and their roles.

  Part 2 of Umineko is an alternate retelling of the events in part 1, as Battler and Beatrice engage in the battle of wits they began at the tea party in the first part. Battler is set to prove that Beatrice is not a witch and that magic was not used to kill the Ushiromiyas. This part also follows Shannon and Kanon, and their respective love lives, as well as their attempts to grapple with their own humanity (and whether they have the right to be considered human at all). Rosa takes Natsuhi's place as the mother figure, and her fraught relationship with Maria takes the place of Natsuhi's struggles to find her place in the family.

  I really liked Shannon and Kanon this time. Shannon solidified herself as a favorite. They both share the same interpersonal struggles. How can someone who was raised to be less than human love someone who they are supposed to serve? Shannon herself is more proactive, taking risks and is more easily assured of her place in the world. Kanon is more hesitant and in denial of his feelings. He doesn't believe he deserves love, let alone to be considered a human being.

  Jessica's character was explored, too in how she's different from her mother instead of their similarities, and how she craves parental recognition. She feels like she isn't seen as who she really is. In fact, this part shows a lot of the family patterns. George, Jessica, and Maria were all expected to be perfect children to follow in their parents' footsteps.

  Rosa, the parental focal of this part, also gets explored. She really is a horrible and abusive parent, both physically and emotionally. She is unable to provide the love her daughter wants, and blaming her outbursts on a witch (terms Maria could understand). I did get the feeling she wants to break out of her abusive patterns, but she can't quite do it, always having violent outbursts at the end. I think the ending she received was terrible, and I pitied her, since no one should have to endure what she did. I do think it really made her think about her parenting choices and filled her with regret, making her reflect on her actions and how she really felt about her daughter.

  Battler was also way less creepy this time around, which was a win. It's interesting to watch him as he is tested. When you enter the story you wonder if he will maintain his cocky skeptical viewpoint, or if he will eventually break and give into Beatrice.

  Beatrice herself is still shrouded in mystery. She is revealed as a confident psychopath. She enjoys the suffering of others and she relishes in the pain she puts the others through. Her cruelty is unmatched. Her actions at the end made me feel pity for some of my least favorite characters in the story. I wonder about what her role really is in the story.

  I like the art in this part better. It feels more polished, and the character designs were less sexualized. I could not get over Shannon's design in part 1 (as a girl, designs like that perplex me and make me feel sorry for the characters), but I thought she looked very cute in part 2. I think everyone looked nicer actually. The only issue is the deranged faces. Beatrice and Maria both make faces that look like Dr. Seuss characters mixed with Muppets on drugs. Probably throw some alchoholism in there for good measure because those were the ugliest faces I have ever seen any character make. The first murder scene was also disgusting and made me want to throw up, and I had to skip through because it made me feel dizzy to look at.

  This part was a definite upgrade in both art, characters, and story. I actually felt scared and emotional while reading it. I think this is going to be a truly compelling mystery, and I look forward to seeing what it has in store for me.

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