[Chron]

When I stop and think about how I would have liked Umineko better, the only thing I can honestly think of is including a Carr representing character, since Ryuukishi seems to have known of him and read his works, it feels like a wasted opportunity.

I mean, seriously. Gideon Fell being summoned from the depths of hell while dual-wielding canes of demon-logic-fire and then proceeding to smack the taste out of everyone. It'd have been a hell of a lot better than what Battler spent most of Chiru doing.

Which isnt to say that's my only criticism of the work.

To be honest, when I think hard about it, it's simply difficult to improve upon Umineko as a whole realistically, not that it was highly polished to begin with, but due to the sheer lack of depth in a lot of aspects. There's not much there to build on at this point. Would the series have been better if there was more closure to it? Of course. But Ryuukishi has made it clear from the beginning that that isn't what he was going for with this, in fact, the kind of closure we lament the lack of was something he intended to send a message about omitting in the first place. Ergo, closure would make this an entirely different work. Moreover, while we would have liked the mysteries presented to have a nice and neat solution explained to us...We're not gonna get it.

Like the nature of the Island isn't explained in any more detail than we got in Lost, that's what we're being treated to by Ryuukishi. In the end, the mystery aspects of Umineko were a ploy and a troll all in one. And the work is diminished for it...Because it is. The "mystery" of the story is not the centerpiece. It's an aside, a subplot at most, and is treated as one in the very end. Umineko is not a mystery, therefore, making it a mystery, while possibly creating a better story, is still making it a different story altogether.

That's why making Umineko into a mystery wouldn't be improving the work itself, it would simply be making it into an entirely different story, contrary to Ryuukishi's intentions. Which were terrible and ham-handed, but whatever. It is what it is.

The point I'm trying to say is that Umineko's depth is measured by Beatrice, the main character. And she is deep. But, BeatoYasuShkannonion is the only true depth in the story. All the other characters lack true depth, or are fictions within fictions, or fantasized ideals of departed individuals, or are just plain angsty. Angst is not depth.

Ange and Maria are not deep. They're filled with Angst. Eva is not deep, she's tortured, but only revealed to have had a face-heel turn at the very end. Or whatever you want to call it. Sure I'm being judgemental as hell, but face it, are you able to speak about anyone other than yasu in terms of real depth, rather than symbolism or metaphor? Maybe I'm just not able to see deeply enough, but for the life of me I can't. Not even Battler has any depth. Sure he's awesome except for when he's useless, but his character isn't really built upon. In fact, his major change of heart, at the end of episode 5, is shrouded in mystery, and we the readers gave it meaning rather than the author. And that change was taken for granted ever since.

Umineko is about big, flashy ideas and concepts being thrown around, with a good soundtrack and memorable characters. But it is by no means a deep work. It's a nice sandbox, to be sure, but there's only so much you can do with sand, and that's why a lack of Gideon Fell references and beat downs is the one thing that I feel Umineko is lacking for what it is.