10 months nearly to the day, I have finished all 8 episodes of Umineko no Naku Koro Nii.

There's a few things still waiting for me but. The behemoth. Is finished.

Umineko Question Arcs: 116 hours
Umineko Answer Arcs: 115 hours

200+ hours spent reading and idle trying to solve shit, and I'd do it all again. (And definitely will.)

But for now I rest in the gratitude of having read something that has not only been a wonderful balm during tough times, but come to mean quite a bit to me.

It has been a gift beyond words, worth every minute.

I hope Ryukishi knows what a pivotal thing Umineko is, as a whole, and that there are people who have taken it to heart.

With my whole body: I love stories so much, I love examining them and turning them over in my hands, I love making them for myself and finding the resonant moments within them.

And stories like Umineko are why. That's all I think I can say.

(That being said, it is definitely not a light read. Neither in length nor content. I could only ever recommend it on a case by case basis, but it has been a very moving journey for me personally.)