Umineko WHEN THEY CRY Episode 2: Turn of the Golden Witch, Vol. 1

Umineko When They Cry (Manga English Numbering ) #3

by Ryukishi07, Jiro Suzuki (Illustrator)

With help from the witch Beatrice, Shannon has enjoyed a budding romance with George Ushiromiya, her master's eldest grandson. As a servant of the Ushiromiya estate, Shannon is little more than furniture, but since her bargain with Beatrice, Shannon has never felt happier...or more human. Her brother and fellow servant, Kanon, is troubled by his sister's reliance on the with to reach beyond her lowly status. But when love begins to flutter in Kanon's heart, will he be tempted to abandon his station and take the witch's hand as well?

Genres: Manga, Mystery, Horror, Fantasy, Supernatural, Graphic Novels, Mystery Thriller

486 pages, Paperback

First published May 28, 2013

About the author

Ryukishi07 (竜騎士07, Ryūkishi Zero Nana?, born November 19, 1973) is the pen name of a Japanese man originally from Chiba Prefecture who is well-known as the original creator for the idea of the visual novel series Higurashi no Naku Koro ni and Umineko no Naku Koro ni. He is the representative member of the group 07th Expansion. His pen name originated from the Final Fantasy series, "Ryūkishi" being the Japanese term for "Dragoon", and "07" goroawase for the name "Lenna". His illustration style is recognizable from the large hands he draws on people.

Reviews

[Ray Flores · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5/5
Episode two starts with Shannon and George on a date and how they were building up their relationship before the dreadful days in the Ushiromiya Mansion start, even if they were from ‘different worlds’.

Unfortunately, Shannon and Kanon are furniture and they’re not supposed to feel love or any other human emotion. Still, with Beatrice’s help, Shannon decides that she will live this life to the fullest, even if it doesn’t end well because being able to feel love is all worth the risk.

Kanon, on the other hand, doesn’t feel the same way, not even after Jessica confesses his love for him. He has a deep sense of not being good enough, not when he’s not even human. He doesn’t let himself feel anything, but at the end of the day, he likes Jessica too, and so, he tries to save her from the second day ritual: kill those two who are close.

Anyway, in this second loop, we kind of have Battler and Beatrice in a room where they see what’s going on, which is kind of like breaking the 4th wall. Battler will never acknowledge Beatrice’s magic so the Golden Witch changes a few things in order to make everyone in the Ushiromiya mansion know her –she’s the 19th guest in the house.

Also, this time the first 6 people are killed in the chapel and now their faces are recognizable, so there would be no doubt of who they were. And Kinzo is also alive, instead of getting killed like the first time.

Now, I want to add that this manga can get really frustrating because you don’t want them to suffer, even if they’re not perfect. And once they become sacrifices, it’s really sad. On the other hand, Maria, the little cousin, is always creeping me out, though I feel sad for her since her mom hits her constantly. I mean, no wonder why the kid has a split personality.

Oh, and I actually like Beatrice. I think that she’s one of those likable villains that weren’t bad at first, but after 1000 years, you cannot expect them to be so merciful. Last but not least, I’m still not a big fan of the art style but the story is what’s important here, so I will be reading the next volumes ASAP.

PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
EP 1: Legend of the Golden Witch
Volume 1 | Volume 2

[Gillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars!
a little slow rn but i can tell it’s going to get good!

[Libbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5✨

✨Writing a grouped review for the entirety of the manga and copy/pasting. I started reading this 6 months ago at the time of writing and read over a few months and don't remember specifics about every single volume except what I rated them ✨

Umineko has an intriguing premise and good execution which does a lot right. The author manages to create such eerie and scary atmospheres and have the reader on edge wondering what is going to happen next. I particularly enjoyed a lot of the locked room scenarios and discussions and explanations.

Where this manga fails is it's extreme repetitiveness. It wears down on the reader very quickly. As a result I'm not sure this is a manga I would recommend to many people.

I will eventually watch the anime, whilst a short run this may be something I'd be inclined to recommend more as the premise itself is well done.

[Tania · Rating 2 out of 5]

After everyone at Rokkenjima dies, we start a new game. This means everything has to happen again.

This new board starts showing us the relationship between Shannon and George, but the interesting part comes later as we find out this time Beato is showing everything to Battler since he still refuses to acknowledge her as a witch.

[✨Rebel Fairy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Trigger warnings: Abuse: Child and emotional, absent parent, graphic murders and profanity.

Beatrice has opened the board and meddled in the 'furniture's' lives. They are the characters in the background, servants to their masters whims.

A new game with different choices, will Battler be able to prove the murders can be done by human hand, or will the witch win and another bad ending engulf the family?

It will seem the story repeats, but this being based on a visual novel game it is another part of how the 'player' determines the choices until we reach the true ending.

Beatrice is one of my favourite characters in this manga, and silently, I will always root for the witch and her logic.

[Doc · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I thought the 2nd chapter in the Umineko series would be like the answer arcs of the Higurashi series but instead it seems that of the many powers the Golden witch Beatrice processes that restarting a day to change things as she sees fit is among them leading to scenarios that have made the first chapter obsolete save for the conflict left from a character in the first chapter and the witch *Want to know you? You'll have to read or look it up.*

All in all the first book in this chapter was not a bad book and I will continue to collect the series but so far I enjoy Higurashi more then this series *Maria kinda freaks me out a bit.* In my opinion the best part of the book is the artwork considering it just doesn't have the mystery feel the first chapter had. I particular enjoyed the aquarium early in the book showing off whale sharks and when Shannon was at the shrine.

[Past · Rating 2 out of 5]

This one was slow... The romance between George and Shannon, uncharismatic characters, is like a bad melodrama. Too much time focused on them when they have nothing to offer. I really liked Jessica and Kannon in the first episode, but now... Besides, the whole furniture stuff is getting boring. I also didn't like the direct approach of Beatrice as the 19th person this time. For now I don't find her really charismatic, just a low-key villain. Maria keeps being my fav (which is funny since I usually don't like children as main characters, but I love her involvement with the occult).

I'll keep reading because I watched years ago Higurashi and loved it (minus the filler and the ecchi) and all the praise seems to put Umineko even at a better place. For now I don't agree... but this is just episode two.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Time is rewound to before the events of Episode One. The hysterics and shocking tale are replaced with a seemingly more meaningful tale of love, and what it is to be human. Strong, twisted emotions still receive the same dramatic art, but these few instances are used as effective peaks, rather than creating a constant tension like before. Characters that were relatively minor, now get the chance to tell their story. Beatrice-sama's part in particular increases, showing a new level to the meaning psychotic millennium witch. Her reign begins as her battle with Battler rages on. Their chess match has the same setting, characters, and circumstances, but events play out differently, and with much more satisfactory results.

[Soyorin · Rating 3 out of 5]

In Episode 2 Vol.1, when Battler denies Beatrice’s existence, her witch’s realm collapses, forcing him into a new game. The arc opens with Rosa’s interactions with Maria, gradually unveiling the instability beneath Rosa’s “kind” facade. Traumatized, starved for love, and emotionally immature, she’s desperate to prove to her elder sister that—despite failing in school—she excels at relationships. Hence, her hasty decision to have Maria at 21 with a man who abandons her. She dumps blame and resentment on her child (yet knows it’s wrong), and each time she does, she’s soon consumed by regret.
An intriguing debate arises: while most agree the “ranking of villainy” goes Kyrie > Rudolf > Eva > Krauss > Hideyoshi > Natsuhi, Reddit fans often argue that Rosa is worse than Eva. In East Asian fandom, some claim Rosa is less vile than Krauss—after all, only a few timelines are shown, and who’s to say Krauss wouldn’t murder others like Rosa or Eva might? Tragically, Rosa’s parental abuse mirrors dysfunctional dynamics in some East Asian households...
Like Episode 1, Volume 1 ends with six characters meeting gruesome deaths on the first night (“Happy Halloween, Maria!”). As a narrative setup—merely the story’s beginning, meant to foreshadow later twists—little concrete information is given about how these deaths occur. Still, I think it’s depicted well.
The only aspect I struggle with is the early scene of Shannon dating George, which feels odd now that I know Shannon’s true identity—let alone the age gap. Personally, I don’t dismiss George outright (it’s fiction, and in that era, relationships between adults and minors were unfortunately common, often framing women as the younger party), but this subplot still rubs me the wrong way. For that, I’d rate it 6.5/10.

[Renan Fontes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Like with Episode 1, we have a rough start with the pre-island stuff. This was the case in the VN too, but at least the manga is mercifully must faster paced. Still too long and there had to have been a more elegant way to convey Shannon & George and Kanon & Jessica's relationships. Kanon/Jessica is especially hard to take seriously. Things improve immensely when the focus swaps to Rosa and the Game itself is finally introduced. Episode 2 was one of my least favorites when I read the VN, so I'm hopeful I'll like it more this time around.

Knowing the truth definitely recontextualizes a lot of things for the better if nothing else.

[Aria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Supongo que este es la versión Omnibus así que debería de ser aproximadamente del CH 1 al 14.

La primer parte, en la que se explica el previo a que se reúnan los Ushiromiya en la isla me estaban dejando super extrañada. Que si, es lindo ver la relación entre Shanon y George así como Kanon con Jessica, pero no encontraba la razón de mostrarlo hasta que vi que era parte de la jugada de Beatriz.

Ya en la isla me sorprendió que todos estuvieran viendo e interactuando con Beatriz, pero más aun me el cambio de imagen que tuvo (que también cambio en el retrato).

[Samuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conseguiu que me importase non unha senón dúas relaciós heterosexuales. Beatrice pasa de ser unha rival temible a un monstruo imparable, pero tamén é a partir deste punto que queda claro que tras Beatrice o que hai son os secretos da familia Ushiromiya, as únicas brujas en Rokenjima son as harpías de Eva e Rosa

[Nicole Mello · Rating 4 out of 5]

it's like groundhog day but for upsetting witch murders! i liked getting to see more of the cousins, and i enjoyed getting to start over and see what'll happen this time, and it's such an interesting story!! intrigued for the next volume!!

[Patrick Gord]

Magic is still not real.

read the vn casuals

[kerrycat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kanon at the school festival - hmmmmmm

[Dallen Malna · Rating 3 out of 5]

art isn't quite as good and there are a few too many vagaries for me to feel quite as comfortable giving this one a 4 star. Still it's a lot of fun and noticeably better than the VN

[Shannon · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

Enough talk about furniture, please.

[Michael Garrity · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.

[Wednesday · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the illustrations in this but the plot is okay

[Phoebe · Rating 5 out of 5]

AHHH SO GOOD!! I LOVE BEATRICE!!

[Rú · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the fuck

[Aeriven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Still enjoying my revisit. May even like this a touch better than the sound novels. Story is ramping up with the Meta world coming into play.

[Duo ❄️☃️✨✝️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I HATE THIS BOOK

BUT I ALSO LOVE IT BECAUSE IT KEEPS YOU ON THE EDGE EVERY SECOND

(i need maria to shut up but i also want to head pat her)

[Gemma Martín · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ya empezamos con el caos. Aunque la idea y el concepto me encantan, la ejecución me parece un poco más problemática...

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

And so it begins again. I had low expectations for this volume going in. I wasn't incredibly impressed by the art style at first glance (In truth, I still think it's kind of ugly), and more to the point, When They Cry arcs almost always start slow. They do that for a very good reason - to flesh out the characters so that you can grow attached to them even as things begin to get more disturbing, but it still usually makes for an early slog. But this volume was very well written so that the slower parts could be taken in small sips that were, taken individually, very emotionally engaging. Further, although I still don't find the art style very appealing generally, I think it did a very good job in this particular arc of highlighting the main character contrast - between the humble yet gentle Shannon and the statuesque yet cruel Beatrice. Generally speaking, I liked the first arc's style better, but I can't quite picture it doing a better job than this artist did at that very, very important task. The conflict surrounding those two is central to this arc, so anything that brings that out here particularly is welcome. The plot naturally picks up near the end of the volume right as the bodies start hitting the ground (and when they do, it's with a lot of gore, so be warned. Then again, if you're going into this series not knowing that, it must have been a very cozy rock you were sleeping under), but unfortunately, by the time it does, it really is right before the end of the volume. Makes me glad I have the next one on hand.

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

So we have the time loop, and the murders have begun anew.

The battle of wits is on. Can Battler continue to deny the existence of witches... while battling one for his very family's lives?

The simple answer is, "not yet," not with the number of episodes ahead. I've seen the anime, so I pretty much know where it all goes for a while yet. Unlike episode one and the anime up to this point, this episode takes its time getting to the island. It gives us the events prior to the island, fleshing out some budding romances more than we saw in the previous episode. If you're in it for the murder mystery-elements, you'll probably be bored by the first part, but you'll get there, don't worry.

[Nameh dah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Turn es uno de los capítulos que más me aburren de Umineko en general, pero el manga tiene un ritmo más rápido que lo hace bastante aceptable. Es una primera mitad que definitivamente engancha bien. Sobre la edición, continuamos con el modus operandi de Yen, a quienes hay que agradecer esos lomos que tienen la numeración completa arriba, y la particular del episodio abajo, lo que hace que queden muy bien en la estantería.

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the game between Beatrice and Battler reset, the events on Rokkenjima become increasingly fantastical in an effort to force Battler's hand. We get a better look at a few more characters in this playthrough - specifically Jessica, Shannon, Kanon, and Rosa. This time (between volume 1 and 2) we're treated to surprising new characters before round 3 begins.

[Mehsi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was another awesome volume in this series. I really loved it.

Especially the Touhou reference/cosplay and the Silver Forest Tsurupettan song. \o/

Maria was -once again- very creepy and scary. But also quite awesome, and btw anyone would snap like that with a mother as she has.