Let’s read Umineko: episode 2: part 6

originally posted at https://canmom.tumblr.com/post/163112...

Comments from @jjbakiss:

the union flag dress was a replacement from the original dress + no music singing because of copyright! the original dress is a touhou marisa kirisame witch dress (cosplay) with a touhou fan song named “pettan pettan tsurupettan” which is a relatively old meme song that was relevant when the original doujin umineko games came out and it was about a girl lamenting the fact that she had “a chest as flat as pancakes” and was popular for the weird meme art and animations on nico nico douga

so in other words, jessica’s school festival performance was like that of an anime comvention

Thanks, that’s cool to know! Interesting deliberate anachronism, and interesting to hear how the original fandom culture was excised in the PS3 release.

In the interests of trying to make this go a bit faster for me, I’m going to be less fine-grained in my narration. I’m going to try and hold off my comments until the end of scenes and summarise more, only taking screenshots when there’s something particularly noteworthy to comment on.

The first scene is George proposing to Shannon. He announces that he’s getting a ring made, that he’ll present during the family conference.

This is not the timeline of the first story exactly. In that story, George’s proposal to Shannon was a surprise, and Jessica only realised feelings for Kanon after Kanon’s death. So, this is not just adding context to these events: it’s telling a new story about mostly the same situation.

George announce that in this version, if Shannon says yes, he’ll propose in front of the whole family, not privately in a gazebo.

He’s very pushy.

At that point, we cut to an abstract spiral background with a soundtrack of ominous latin chanting and cellos. It’s pretty cool. Beatrice cackles over the coming ‘banquet’. And that’s the end of the chapter.

The narration announces it’s October 4: the first day. Time for the murders.

We start with Maria and Rosa arriving by train. Maria’s excited about Halloween, naturally. (The narration notes it’s not as common in Japan). Much as before, Rosa’s getting fed up with her, and Maria’s throwing a bigger and bigger tantrum, especially when a stranger gives her a sweet.

So this is not going to go anywhere good.

I always feel sorry for children on trains whose parents are trying to get them to shut up tbh? Like I get why parents don’t want their kid to draw attention, but to a kid it must just seem like arbitrary cruelty. Our culture’s current solution is basically all carriages are noisy unless specifically marked as quiet, and each train that’s big enough has a quiet carriage, but I’m not sure what the norms are in Japan.

Anyway, Rosa continues her trend of hitting Maria, over and over. I know ‘is it ever OK to hit your children’ is to some degree cultural, but (soapbox) I really really hate that practice, and here it’s definitely portrayed as abusive.

Maria’s narrative is that an evil witch has taken over her mother, and that eventually her mother will come back and ‘save’ her. :( :( :(

Like many abusers, Rosa apologises pleads with Maria to forgive her and not hate her. She gets Maria a gift. But it’s clear she’s done this many times, and she’s going to do it again.

Next: Natsuhi and Krauss. They talk about business, Natsuhi encourages Krauss and asks him to rely on her more. Krauss is stiff and formal to her. His investments are going badly, which they blame on him not trusting his hereditary Urishomiya foresight.

In another difference to episode 1, Natsuhi resolves not to let the ‘greedy siblings’ meet up with Kinzo. In episode 1, the narration showed repeatedly that she was trying to persuade Kinzo to come down and meet everyone.

We get a scene with Gohda talking to Genji on the phone about preparations, then Genji to Kanon and Shannon. This time, Jessica surreptitiously asked them to prepare guest house rooms for the four cousins without telling Natsuhi, so presumably the others will be expecting to sleep in the mansion.

And at the end, Genji says something about entertaining a ‘very important guest’. No, an important guest. Beatrice, of course.

In the airport, George practices proposing to Shannon. This is his side of the start of the first episode.

Rudolf and Kyrie show up. Neither has voice acting for some reason. [2022 Bryn: This was either a bug or I had somehow accidentally turned off their VA in the menu.] Battler, of course, does, as he arrives on the scene at last. Next, Rosa and Maria arrive. I can’t remember the original scene well enough to tell whether any of the dialogue is different this time. I do remember Rosa and Maria being late - now we know why.

I don’t remember this line? I do remember explaining the concept of cousins to Maria repeatedly, but it goes differently this time. Broad strokes the same: Battler hits it off with Maria; details different. This time, Halloween discussions. Maria, naturally, wants to dress as Beatrice.

Thankfully, we skip the interminable travel scenes.

Jessica and Kumasawa discuss Beatrice. Kumasawa claims not to know much. But she drops some backstory on Rokkenjima.

Much as Beatrice said, the story goes that there were once evil spirits on Azukijima, until a ‘travelling mountain ascetic’ built a shrine to lay them to rest. That shrine was recently destroyed by a ‘violet thunderbolt’. Well, we know why.

Next, Rudolf and Kyrie discuss holiday plans. This must be a flashback, because it’s in an office. This scene has no voice acting whatsoever. Rudolf discusses the situation: him and his associates are, as we know from episode 1, facing a lawsuit in the USA. The prospects look bad, but they may be able to settle out of court by rebranding their company? It’s going to cost, and they’re in a capital crisis. Awks. Rudolf promises to find a way to raise the money.

This turns out to be a dream sequence on the plane. He feels guilty but he needs the money.

Kinzo’s office. Much as before, Kinzo says he won’t come out of his study unless Beatrice shows up. He gives a familiar speech about magical rituals and risk to Nanjo. Nanjo’s like, ok, but you’re dying, be careful, but good luck I guess?

Then there’s a butterfly animation, and we end up in Beatrice’s tea room. Chess metaphors ahoy!

She’s talking to Battler! This is presumably not the Battler in the story. This is getting interesting.

Battler repeats his resolution to never believe in Beatrice.

Beatrice, in turn, promises ‘eternal torment’: she’ll play this game over and over again until Battler gives in. Battler says he’s never lost a stubbornness competition, and this will be torture for Beatrice, not him.

This is sounding more and more like some kind of BDSM foreplay thing.

Next: time for games. Hopefully someone will flip a chessboard, it’s been too long since I got to use the gif.