I ed waiting for 7 years for Umineko to finish (and 7 years ago, it's already an ongoing series)!
From all episodes, I like Natsumi Kei's work best, as the mangaka is the one who drew the first of series, so it's just a proper thing that s/he will be the one who finished it.
Usually I won't understand much from manga that is based on games/visual novel, but this Umineko manga manages to tell a complete story without any skipped/shortened-and-merged parts. Especially the epilogue... It is such a happy and touching ending, especially after seeing so many roller-coasters, ups-and-downs moment, and the harsh nature of witches who love to see mosery of other. I can't ask more except for more and more unending epilogue!
Umineko contains gore and horror, but also "love", and most of all, tragic element it in. It also has something to do with mind logic, "detective" and "mystery", and psychology. And of urse, don't forget about the fantasy part (obviously).
After reading until episode 7, the answers of everything become clearer. Even the philosophy and plot become understandable. "If in one mystery novel, the pages that explain the trick are ripped off the book, then it become a fantasy, that can only be done by witch. The line between fantasy and mystery is as thin as paper". Anpther thing that I get from the main plot itself is, the Cat Box Theory itself. It was fun solving the puzzles and understanding this stuffs while reading the whole series, looking back to find some hidden clues, or re-reading it and discovered new things.
I think this is (one of) the best manga with so many genres and elements combined into one, and it doesn't destroy the story itself. For one example, how do you make a manga with almost all girls as characters, wearing quite loli and frilly European dress, fight against each other, and but with no fanservice ecchi stuffs at all? The first manga that I praised for having so many elements in is Naruto. The second would be Umineko.
I might overrated it, but "without love, it can't be seen", and because I love this so much, I find it really worth to read! Now that it totslly ends, I'll feel a bit lonely....
Certainly, when something cries again, I'll be there to read another tale being weaved......
