Completed Umineko Episode 6: 8.5/10

As usual, a really great episode. This arc is focused very much focused on the theme of starting over, of redoing our past mistakes and realising what truly matters. For example, let's kick this off by first talking about Battler, who-

this primarily applies to. You know, it almost feels like his character arc has kinda come full circle with this episode. There are a lot of strong Kinzo parallels in this arc, with chick Beato and everything,

but Battler ends up rejecting going down the same path that his grandfather once did, and instead accepted chick Beato, which eventually rewards him in the very end.

Also love that even though he has to play this game to prove to Beato he knows the truth, (for some reason), he goes out of his way to construct a murder mystery without actually killing anyone, which is just so fitting for his character (of course Erika fucks it all up though).

Erika is up next, and God, she's just great. Everything that I've already gushed about her in my EP 5 thread is still in this episode, and more. I love the fact that ruined love is at the cause of her twisted personality, it's so fitting with the themes of this arc.

She also shows her more vulnerable side, which makes her growing relationship with Dlanor really touching, but she also uses this vulnerability of hers to her advantage, by tricking Battler into sympathising with her, so he ends up giving back her precious duct tape.

Ofc, she's still as terrifying of an enemy as ever, the reveal about her killing the family members is downright bone-chilling. While it's a bit of a shame to know this is the end for her, she went out with a bang, and her final battle was hype as hell.

Beato's sub-plot was very good as well. It contributes a lot to the themes of the arc and develops the other characters in interesting ways, but we get even more clues to who Beatrice really is, and why she's done what she's done.

We still haven't delved all the way in, but we're just on threshold, and it seems like EP 7 will do the job of fully digging into the meat of her character's complexity. Her comeback at the end of the arc is some of the most hype shit ever though, goddamn.

We learn more about George, who I've always liked, but he's kind of a pretentious pathetic little shit in this arc, so he's really just annoying now.

Still good, mind you, how Eva's upbringing has impacted his self-confidence etc, that's all good. I just have a hard time taking him seriously lmao. Couldn't stop laughing when I read his backstory. Shannon is still quite boring too, even more so with George.

Kanon and Jessica however, were really great, love them. Endearing as hell, Kanon gets a lot of touching, introspective moments. I really did root for them.

Featherine and Ange were good too. Featherine is an interesting case, as she's supposedly written the story that's happening, but she doesn't seem to know all the answers. A bit confusing. Neat to have Ange back for this, but did expect her to contribute with more to the arc.

Some of my further theorising, very spoilery, so it's a picture of my notes instead. And it takes up less place in my thread this way.

I think EP 6 was great overall, and I do adore it, but it is a shame it's not a third back to back 9/10 arc for me. Maybe with recontextualisation, but it just has it's weak spots. Everything before the logic error, in fact, can be a bit shaky at times.

Love Trial drags and isn't very interesting for example, the series doesn't explore its themes as nuanced and engagingly as before etc. Still mostly great stuff, but it's uneven, but everything from the logic error is consistently great, so it ends up as an 8.5/10 for me.

I'm starting EP 7 today. Yep, today. Just the prologue though, but I'll take one or two chapters more tomorrow. I have heard that these last two episodes are on a completely different level, so I am expecting peak fiction. And, it probably won't disappoint.