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Umineko When They Cry (Manga English Numbering ) #7
Umineko WHEN THEY CRY Episode 4: Alliance of the Golden Witch, Vol. 1 - manga
Twelve years after her loved ones were brutally murdered at the annual family meeting, Ange Ushiromiya, now eighteen, is the sole heir of the Ushiromiya family. Ostracized by her peers, Ange seeks companionship in the pages of a diary left behind by her cousin, Maria. The diary offers a precious glimpse of Maria's world--her struggles at school, her friendship with stuffed--lion Sakutarou, and her fascination with magic. It's as if the diary contains the last remnants of Ange's dear cousin...and an opportunity for Ange to discover the magic within herself...
500 pages, Paperback
First published April 22, 2010
6 people are currently reading
116 people want to read
About the author
Ryukishi07
299 books319 followersRyukishi07 (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.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
November 15, 2020
If you ask me, this is a long introduction to the new Episode: Alliance of the Golden Witch. Whilst the others episodes were focused on Battler and his duel against Beato, this one begins with Ange, his little sister, who was left behind after everybody died in the Ushiromiya Mansion, 12 years ago.
Both Eva and Ange suffered the loss and grief of their loved ones, and so Eva gets Ange’s custody but instead of treating her like a daughter, she often blames her for everything that happened, even if it wasn’t her fault. After Eva dies, she gives no answers to Ange and instead, she only passes her curse to this young woman: to be the new head of the Ushiromiya family (with her cursed money and all), and to become the next Golden Witch.
Thus, we get to see a bit of Ange’s past, how she dealt with bullies all her life and how she became a lonely kid. That is until Maria’s journal comes into the picture. You see, Maria was a young witch apprentice, so she had the power to create things from zero –a quality that apparently is quite unique. Thanks to this, she ‘tells’ wonderful stories through her journal, and somehow Ange gets to read them. It will be her only solace.
Eventually, Ange becomes a witch apprentice too and as the new Golden Witch, she can summon furniture such as the sisters that are named after the seven deadly sins, who were previously furniture of Beatrice too.
Anyway, with the help of Lady Bernkastel, Ange will be able to help Battler against Beato and their wicked game shall have a new plot twist. I really cannot wait to read the next volume!
Note aside: my friend and I just found out that every Episode is illustrated by a different mangaka, that’s why some styles are more redefined and others. This one is especially good to Battler (now he looks quite handsome himself) but maybe that’s just me.
PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
EP 1: Legend of the Golden Witch
Volume 1 | Volume 2
EP 2: Turn of the Golden Witch
Volume 1 | Volume 2
EP 3: Banquet of the Golden Witch
Volume 1 | Volume 2
Both Eva and Ange suffered the loss and grief of their loved ones, and so Eva gets Ange’s custody but instead of treating her like a daughter, she often blames her for everything that happened, even if it wasn’t her fault. After Eva dies, she gives no answers to Ange and instead, she only passes her curse to this young woman: to be the new head of the Ushiromiya family (with her cursed money and all), and to become the next Golden Witch.
Thus, we get to see a bit of Ange’s past, how she dealt with bullies all her life and how she became a lonely kid. That is until Maria’s journal comes into the picture. You see, Maria was a young witch apprentice, so she had the power to create things from zero –a quality that apparently is quite unique. Thanks to this, she ‘tells’ wonderful stories through her journal, and somehow Ange gets to read them. It will be her only solace.
Eventually, Ange becomes a witch apprentice too and as the new Golden Witch, she can summon furniture such as the sisters that are named after the seven deadly sins, who were previously furniture of Beatrice too.
Anyway, with the help of Lady Bernkastel, Ange will be able to help Battler against Beato and their wicked game shall have a new plot twist. I really cannot wait to read the next volume!
Note aside: my friend and I just found out that every Episode is illustrated by a different mangaka, that’s why some styles are more redefined and others. This one is especially good to Battler (now he looks quite handsome himself) but maybe that’s just me.
PREVIOUS REVIEWS:
EP 1: Legend of the Golden Witch
Volume 1 | Volume 2
EP 2: Turn of the Golden Witch
Volume 1 | Volume 2
EP 3: Banquet of the Golden Witch
Volume 1 | Volume 2
January 11, 2023
this is probably one of my favorite volumes so far!! i enjoyed all the character and story work here, there's not a lot of misses. i'm really digging ange as a character. this is also the first time i've really felt like i've had a good grip on what's going on, i'm starting to puzzle out the mystery, i'm figuring things out!! also i want to go to the tea party and eat all those treats so bad. those monsters.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 19, 2018
In this volume(s), we get Ange's back story and that's about it. There's hardly any of the dynamic we've come to know and love between Battler and Beatrice this time around, which is a shame. I like Ange, and I like her back story (and the peek we get at Maria's too), but it seemed to drag on and on.
Also, I kept looking and looking at Ange, trying to figure out what was off about her character design. I thought it was the clothes at first creating some illusion (the jacket's bulky with bell sleeves and a flouncy skirt that doesn't match the top's bulk), but then I figured it out. It's her hips and the way her legs attach to her body. She's got a thigh gap a mile wide, but it makes no sense with her shape otherwise. I don't think her legs would actually attach to her torso. She doesn't stand in a way that you can see the thigh gap often, but the inconsistency is there regardless of how she stands. It's just most obvious when her legs are together. It's not too big a deal most of the time, but it's a bit disconcerting during full body shots. Her head also seemed too small for her body in some panels, but I think that that's from the bulky jacket she's wearing most of the time. It seemed consistent with scenes where she's in lighter clothing, and in those her head was fine.
Umineko has weird art sometimes. I guess it just stood out more to me in this volume than in some of the previous ones.
Also, I kept looking and looking at Ange, trying to figure out what was off about her character design. I thought it was the clothes at first creating some illusion (the jacket's bulky with bell sleeves and a flouncy skirt that doesn't match the top's bulk), but then I figured it out. It's her hips and the way her legs attach to her body. She's got a thigh gap a mile wide, but it makes no sense with her shape otherwise. I don't think her legs would actually attach to her torso. She doesn't stand in a way that you can see the thigh gap often, but the inconsistency is there regardless of how she stands. It's just most obvious when her legs are together. It's not too big a deal most of the time, but it's a bit disconcerting during full body shots. Her head also seemed too small for her body in some panels, but I think that that's from the bulky jacket she's wearing most of the time. It seemed consistent with scenes where she's in lighter clothing, and in those her head was fine.
Umineko has weird art sometimes. I guess it just stood out more to me in this volume than in some of the previous ones.
December 27, 2025
Trigger warnings: Bullying
The new character enters the board. You get n glimpse into the world after the events on the island.
The world paints the survivor as the true killer, but is that the truth? Is there something more sinister that is hiding in this endless murder?
Innocence plays a vital role. As a child, you can believe with all your heart, and as you grow older, sometimes you just lose a bit of yourself.
We learn more about Battler's family and how Maria is who she is.
Beatrice is truly a double-edged sword, and can the humans win her this time in a battle of wits?
It's time to flip the chessboard and see what ending awaits the family.
This is truly a dark, super natural murder mystery. Question everything.
Vol 21 isn't too far away, where I will give my truest opinion.
The new character enters the board. You get n glimpse into the world after the events on the island.
The world paints the survivor as the true killer, but is that the truth? Is there something more sinister that is hiding in this endless murder?
Innocence plays a vital role. As a child, you can believe with all your heart, and as you grow older, sometimes you just lose a bit of yourself.
We learn more about Battler's family and how Maria is who she is.
Beatrice is truly a double-edged sword, and can the humans win her this time in a battle of wits?
It's time to flip the chessboard and see what ending awaits the family.
This is truly a dark, super natural murder mystery. Question everything.
Vol 21 isn't too far away, where I will give my truest opinion.
July 10, 2023
4.5 stars!
another great (half) episode of umineko! i love seeing ange and battler interacting with each other but it’s so bittersweet at the same time. i cannot wait to see what happens in the 4th game
another great (half) episode of umineko! i love seeing ange and battler interacting with each other but it’s so bittersweet at the same time. i cannot wait to see what happens in the 4th game
December 28, 2015
This is one of my favorite arcs of the series - there are only a few others that reach the sheer level of emotion and grandiosity that this one does. I think it's also relatively safe to say that this is the arc where magic is overall given the freest reign over the plot (The only competitor for that title might be the third arc), and the grandiosity of its tone is suitably strong. This adaptation is a very good one. They made the interesting choice of rearranging a lot of the scenes this time to give a nice long prologue and actually end this volume in roughly the place where both the anime and the visual novel started. I actually liked this decision a lot, as it cut out a lot of the random bouncing between places and times without a ton of segway that existed in both the VN and anime. It also makes the pacing a noticeable improvement. The artwork is beautiful, and there are some extra little details that are thrown into some of the background scenes that I thought were very nice touches. I'm really looking forward to jumping into the second volume.
June 30, 2025
I finished this in just two days, but since so much of it unfolds through an interleaved narrative structure, I ended up re-reading key sections multiple times later on.
Episode 4 is among the most wittily crafted, as it weaves together imagery of magic, reality, and memory into a single tapestry. Four parallel timelines unfold simultaneously: Ange’s traumatic school days (where Eva sent her away to “keep her away,” and where she faced relentless bullying), her present-day flight from Kasumi, the chessboard murders, and the witch’s realm—where Ange assumes the guise of Gretel, resolved to aid Battler.
It opens with Ange’s fragmented memories: bittersweet moments with her family (now forever lost) and her agonizing school days where she endured nothing but cruelty. Her only solace came from Maria’s magic diary—the pages seemed to come alive, with Maria’s voice echoing in her mind, recounting moments like when Rosa gifted her Sakutaro for her birthday.
Returning to the present, Ange seeks out Tetsuro—an elder of the Ushiromiya clan whom Eva deeply trusted. He tells Ange he never believed Eva was the culprit, insisting the ring on her hand is irrefutable proof—Kinzo, in his final years, had come to see Eva as far more capable than Krauss and named her his true heir; not to mention that Eva loved Hideyoshi and Geroge. Ange dismisses his claim, but Tetsuro counters that her refusal stems from a lifelong loathing of Eva. “If someone we love does a good deed, we call it kindness; if someone we despise does the same, we dismiss it as vanity.” This touches on a core theme of Umineko: Perspectivism—the epistemological idea that all truth is filtered through our subjective viewpoints.
Meanwhile, Kasumi—Kyrie’s embittered younger sister—hunts Ange, driven by a toxic mix of resentment toward her late sibling and greed for the Ushiromiya fortune. Though Ange escapes with Amakusa’s help (Eva’s former bodyguard), she soon resolves to return to Rokkenjima—to honor her family and Maria. The manga teases the origins of this decision, saving the full reveal for later, even as Kasumi’s pursuit intensifies.
By the volume’s end, Ange breaches the witch’s realm, and the Fourth Game begins in earnest.
Frankly, I wish this arc hadn’t been split into three volumes—with so many threads interwoven, the pacing sometimes feels disjointed. But since this is a manga review (not a critique of the source material), I’ll stick to analyzing the adaptation itself.
Episode 4 is among the most wittily crafted, as it weaves together imagery of magic, reality, and memory into a single tapestry. Four parallel timelines unfold simultaneously: Ange’s traumatic school days (where Eva sent her away to “keep her away,” and where she faced relentless bullying), her present-day flight from Kasumi, the chessboard murders, and the witch’s realm—where Ange assumes the guise of Gretel, resolved to aid Battler.
It opens with Ange’s fragmented memories: bittersweet moments with her family (now forever lost) and her agonizing school days where she endured nothing but cruelty. Her only solace came from Maria’s magic diary—the pages seemed to come alive, with Maria’s voice echoing in her mind, recounting moments like when Rosa gifted her Sakutaro for her birthday.
Returning to the present, Ange seeks out Tetsuro—an elder of the Ushiromiya clan whom Eva deeply trusted. He tells Ange he never believed Eva was the culprit, insisting the ring on her hand is irrefutable proof—Kinzo, in his final years, had come to see Eva as far more capable than Krauss and named her his true heir; not to mention that Eva loved Hideyoshi and Geroge. Ange dismisses his claim, but Tetsuro counters that her refusal stems from a lifelong loathing of Eva. “If someone we love does a good deed, we call it kindness; if someone we despise does the same, we dismiss it as vanity.” This touches on a core theme of Umineko: Perspectivism—the epistemological idea that all truth is filtered through our subjective viewpoints.
Meanwhile, Kasumi—Kyrie’s embittered younger sister—hunts Ange, driven by a toxic mix of resentment toward her late sibling and greed for the Ushiromiya fortune. Though Ange escapes with Amakusa’s help (Eva’s former bodyguard), she soon resolves to return to Rokkenjima—to honor her family and Maria. The manga teases the origins of this decision, saving the full reveal for later, even as Kasumi’s pursuit intensifies.
By the volume’s end, Ange breaches the witch’s realm, and the Fourth Game begins in earnest.
Frankly, I wish this arc hadn’t been split into three volumes—with so many threads interwoven, the pacing sometimes feels disjointed. But since this is a manga review (not a critique of the source material), I’ll stick to analyzing the adaptation itself.
December 5, 2022
I'm pleasantly surprised by how much I liked this volume. The Ange sections of Episode 4 were some of my least favorite content when I first read the visual novel, so I was apprehensive going into the manga version which front-loads A LOT of her material. Knowing the full scope of the story and where Ange's arc is going helps tremendously. While the pace is very slow, pretty much everything we're being shown is critically to not only figuring out what's going on, but actually understanding and appreciating Umineko's themes.
I think the set-up goes on a bit too long for my tastes – Mariage Sorciere is about my limit – but it's good set up for the game and it's important readers fully understand who Ange is before the fourth game begins in earnest. All around great volume. I really felt for Ange this time around compared to the VN.
I think the set-up goes on a bit too long for my tastes – Mariage Sorciere is about my limit – but it's good set up for the game and it's important readers fully understand who Ange is before the fourth game begins in earnest. All around great volume. I really felt for Ange this time around compared to the VN.
December 16, 2020
Larga introducción sobre lo que pasó fuera de Rokkenjima y en la actualidad de 1998. Ange tiene el diario de María y con eso sabemos cómo percibía el mundo. Me gusta el arco de Ange porque comienza a dar respuestas de qué pasó ahora que hay una sobreviviente y una heredera de toda la fortuna.
June 24, 2020
Imagine reading some manga adaptation and not the actual visual novel. The only purpose of the manga is to use it as a shortcut for writing
September 1, 2020
"Gretel" is definitely my favorite character now, and I can already see so much angst ahead for her with Battler, who annoys me but damn, now that "Gretel" is in the picture . . .
October 22, 2021
Amazing.
October 26, 2023
pretty different from the other episodes so far but so good. made me cry like at least 6 times
January 17, 2025
Aunque los WHAT IF se me hacen muy entretenidos, este tomo se me hace muy pesado.
August 3, 2025
El pasado de Ange siempre, siempre es duro
November 6, 2014
First off before considering this book series I should warn you like its Higurashi counterpart this series balances between dark and light elements and the changes of artwork occur as the truths of the book are revealed. Then again what is truly truth when seen through your individual perspectives? Also don't be surprised if you see gory illustrations, references to Christian hell, or cute girls going through this series since it seems to be a common enough theme by Ryukishi07.
The story of Umineko is an interesting series revolving around the a group of family members who make their way to an isolated island owned by the head of the family. After they get there a storm comes in cutting off all communications and travel to the outside words and a riddle found within the mansion begins coming true as family members are murdered in in normally grotesque ways. The strange thing is the island is under the control of a great witch whom the head of the family loves and she has control of all elements up to and including time and life itself for everyone involved in the story leading to a complete reset on the island as she competes against one of residents in a struggle of belief and reason. At the end of the 3rd arc a new player was introduced by the miracle witch Bernkastel who is interested in the golden witch Beatrice who is responsible for everything on the island. This arc appears to primarily help us understand the new player Angie who is tied to the family unable to escape their fates thus far on the island. By the end of this volume the th game will finally begin as we once again delve into what is really truth.
There are many interesting moments but if I would have to choose my favorite part of the book would have to say it was when Ronove tells Beatrice that that her opponent is morose so she should go to him and cheer him up so that day's game will not be completely one side. The ensuing scene is one to remember. :)
The story of Umineko is an interesting series revolving around the a group of family members who make their way to an isolated island owned by the head of the family. After they get there a storm comes in cutting off all communications and travel to the outside words and a riddle found within the mansion begins coming true as family members are murdered in in normally grotesque ways. The strange thing is the island is under the control of a great witch whom the head of the family loves and she has control of all elements up to and including time and life itself for everyone involved in the story leading to a complete reset on the island as she competes against one of residents in a struggle of belief and reason. At the end of the 3rd arc a new player was introduced by the miracle witch Bernkastel who is interested in the golden witch Beatrice who is responsible for everything on the island. This arc appears to primarily help us understand the new player Angie who is tied to the family unable to escape their fates thus far on the island. By the end of this volume the th game will finally begin as we once again delve into what is really truth.
There are many interesting moments but if I would have to choose my favorite part of the book would have to say it was when Ronove tells Beatrice that that her opponent is morose so she should go to him and cheer him up so that day's game will not be completely one side. The ensuing scene is one to remember. :)
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December 12, 2023Aww, would have loved more scenes with Mammon <3
January 22, 2025
✨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.
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.
December 2, 2015
Ange burgers
*shot*
*shot*
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews