Umineko no Naku Koro ni

Being a fan of the Higurashi no Naku Koro ni (When They Cry) series, Umineko no Naku Koro ni (When the Seagulls Cry) was probably my most anticipated anime of ths summer. As it was made by the same people, I was expecting the same dark themes to be brought up and I have not been dissapointed. The mystery, horror, gore, and insanity is all there, something the trailer alone confirms.



Unlike Higurashi, the story is somewhat dark right from the beginning. With the head of the Ushiromiya family dying, several family members gather on the island of Rokkenjima to discuss his assets and inheritance. Once the legendary witch, Beatrice, is brought up as the one responsible for the Ushiromiya's wealth, the family members quickly dismiss it as nothing more than a legend. Just as a typhoon passes, people on the island are found in the shed with their faces ripped off.

This gruesome tale revolves around Battler Ushiromiya, one of the grandchildren of the head of the family, Kinzo. As only 2 episodes have been released and I am not familiar with the games, I can only guess how his role will be played out but there have been hints that he will be a key player in uncovering the mystery of Beatrice and her gold.

Like Higurashi, the themes of insanity are particularly chilling. The eyes of one of the children often resemble those of someone about to go on a killing spree. A little girl with eyes like that is always creepy no matter how overused it is.

I'm already getting into the mystery, thinking about who the killer could be. Considering the direction Higurashi went in, I don't want to rule out any supernatural occurrences and twists throwing the viewer off the trail. I'll let you know how the series plays out when we get a little further in. If this is even half as good as Higurashi, it'll be one of the best new series all year.