If everyone accepts a lie, does it become the truth?
Creative Staff
Story: Ryukishi07
Art: Akitaka
Translation/Adaptation: Stephen Paul
What They Say
Umineko WHEN THEY CRY Episode 5: End of the Golden Witch Vol. #3
The trial begins. With Erika as her prosecutor, Natsuhi stands accused of murdering six members of her family and staff. As red and blue truths conflict and collide, Beatrice must defend Natsuhi from her charges, hoping to prove instead that she–Beatrice the Golden Witch–is responsible for these crimes. But when the wicked witches of certainty and miracles take over the game board, can Battler wrest control from them?!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
There is a moment in this Umineko volume, where the reader’s hate of the witch’s Bern and Lambda is strongest, that a sad bit of musing from the characters hit a little too close to home. “Why does the solitary truth teller have to be dragged to the guillotine to the jeers of the liars?” Why indeed Battler. In the face of this overwhelming injustice against his aunt, he throws himself back into the battle and no longer remains sidelined. The fight has become personal once again in the face of two witches who think of everything as one big game and stand to lose nothing.
The actions of the witches during this arc haven’t changed my opinion on Beatrice or her actions, no matter how hard the author might have intended that to be the result. Instead, it has made me hate the other witches more, and it’s because of the railroading that they are accomplishing for no other reason than boredom. Why did these so-called witches pick the Ushiromiya family to torment? Granted, this is all probably the fever dream of a broken Battler but who can say what the truth is any more at this point. By the end of this volume things have gone so far into the realm of magic and insanity that it doesn’t matter. It’s all for the great farce that is this story.
Erika paints a very nasty crime around Natsuhi, one involving long deep-seated hatred and one that she even throws an insane claim of infidelity into. That farce has painted Natsuhi into a corner but she won’t admit anything about the adopted son until after she’s lost everything, including her argument. She then also admits that she didn’t just lose the child in an accident. The truth doesn’t drive Battler away, but it is pretty shocking. The whole family appears to be a mess of abusive or abused people on some level.
We see what happens when Erika wins. The victory appears to be complete and total, and in one way it’s nice to see something reach what feels like a solid conclusion in this extremely long adaptation. Even if it is only a temporary ending.
This whole arc feels constructed just to raise the blood pressure of the reader, or considering the source material, the player. Perhaps the most frustrating part of how this volume resolves is that when Battler rallies it’s because he remembered some key piece of information about Beatrice. It seems to suggest that Battler finally remembered the ‘promise’ made at one point during Battler’s childhood with a mysterious someone. We are given the eureka moment but not the promise itself! Battler fully accepts some weird twisty logic and goes along with the entire scheme, no longer fighting against the very idea of witches but ready to play the game to the best of his abilities. Meanwhile, we are left in the dark as to what the truth of the matter is.
Thus he’s granted magic powers of his own, and as Beatrice fades from the story he takes her place against Erika for the next game. It is cathartic to watch Battler turn the entire verdict that Erika had manically constructed on its head, but it’s not enough. I just wish that Erika hadn’t been brought into this story at all. I don’t think I’ve seen a character as annoying and slapable as her in a long time.
The extras in this volume include the usual author’s note, a few gag comics, and a page of translation notes.
In Summary:
This finale to the End of the Golden Witch arc of Umineko proves to be a turning point for Battler in his struggle against the witches. He has stopped fighting against the rules of the game, which have been rigged against him, and instead finally manages to achieve a victory of sorts. Of course, that victory also means becoming that which he doesn’t believe exists. The paradox is strong but at this point, all logic and reason that doesn’t fit the narrative any longer have been tossed aside. The spectacle is the driving force and this volume continues its scene-chewing and teeth gnashing torment of the protagonist and the reader. If you weren’t feeling the direction this series was heading in then this volume likely isn’t going to change your mind. The mystery has shifted from the actual murders on the island to the mystery of Beatrice herself, and that is a reason to be thankful this arc is over. I wish Erika had been left on the cutting room floor though, she is one annoying and improbable character is an already overcrowded cast.
Content Grade: B
Art Grade: B
Packaging Grade: B +
Text/Translation Grade: A –
Age Rating: Older Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: January 26, 2016
MSRP: $ 20.00 US /$24.00 CAN
