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:D
Join Date: Mar 2009
Location: Zombieland. >:3
Age: 28
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Opening: Overall excellent. There were a few points where the animation seemed too weak for a strong point in the lyrics, and vice-versa. But it was good overall. I love the song itself; good lyrics, and the singer has a good voice. I also like how it keeps the hint of the original song used in the games hidden in there (the chanting and little tune in the song). The very first bit of the OP is one of the best parts, as it shows the Beatrice portrait and zooms in on a few parts with a dramatic effect. The part where the characters flash out of the darkness very quickly is in time with the music, so that was good too. Possibly my favorite part from the OP, however, is the scene where Maria is shown standing in front of the mansion. It then zooms in on the bottom half of her face, as it switches from a blank expression to an insane smile in silence and a gray tone. It gave off a very eerie feeling. (Although I believe it's yet another thing that makes Maria's role too obvious, but that's a different story.) I also like how Beatrice is shown standing there, and then she bursts into a cloud of golden butterflies and flies away. The very ending is also amazing, where the red-toned screen shows Beatrice and Battler facing each other...it's hard to describe, but it's just...interesting.
Ending: EPIC WIN. Seriously, epic win. The chessboard scene at the beginning was awesome, and the way it kept spinning fit really well with the music. Another good effect was how the one-winged eagle was shown as soon as the music dropped for a second. All the effects are awesome! I also love the voice, the random evil laugh, and the random English thrown in. The lyrics are amazing! Probably the best anime ending I've ever seen! But the end of the ending was very impressive, how it shows two empty chairs in a room, then it zooms in to show part of Beatrice, then part of Battler, then the two are sitting in the chairs that were previously shown. Incredible ending.
Animation: The animation was a bit...akward...at parts, but it was good overall. I especally loved the animation whenever someone would have an angry expression, or the animation overall through the rose garden scene. It's good enough that it can convey the emotion that it's supposed to, and that's what's important. Very different from any of the Higurashi styles, which is good. (Although, in my opinion, I would've liked to see the Umineko characters in Higurashi Kai's style.) The effects are excellent, too. It's fast, new, and pretty cool!
Voice Acting: All the voices were pretty good (except Kinzo's, it sounds weird). I kinda wish that some of Higurashi's voice actors weren't shared with Umineko, because now I can't stop thinking of Miyo from Higurashi everytime I hear Eva's voice. Battler's is a little deeper than I imagined, and Jessica's should be a little higher. My favorite voices would have to be Rosa's and Maria's; they were just how I imagined them. But they were good, and went well with the animation whenever a character was angry or sad (unlike the English version of Higurashi...*shudders*).
Sound: I liked the background music; it all fit well with the situations. The sound effects were also good, especally when Battler first noticed the Beatrice painting. They were good at delivering the emotion of the whole scene. I don't like how it was censored when Eva was yelling at Natsuhi, though. I mean, why would they censor that? It wasn't even a cuss word, and it aired at 1:30 in the morning! As if any kids would be up then to watch it! Anyways... Not much to say about it, but the BGM and SE were very good, overall.
Plot: As MANY other people have already said, it was rushed. While a few others have gone on and on about it being very rushed, it actually wasn't that bad. Sure, they left out a few scenes, but it still makes sense at this point. As far as I can see now, someone who's completely new to the world of Umineko should be just fine watching the anime, even without reading the sound novel or game. It got to the point, although I think a few parts could've used a little more description. While a lot happened in this episode (about equal to everything that happened in the first manga volume), the entire arc (equal to the first game) is confirmed to be five episodes, so the pace will have to slow down once the drama really starts. I expect that the plot and pace will improve greatly, so we'll just wait and see. For now, it's excellent.
Characters: The character designs are excellent, and the anime seems to have kept to their original personalities. I'm glad that they kept Maria's uu~ noise; it's like a trademark for her! (It's also the new nipah~ *is shot*) Not much to say at this point, but so far, so good!
Relation to Game and Manga: Never played the game. But I've read the manga. The anime has obviously skipped a few scenes, but nothing too major. It seems to stay true to the original story!
Overall: EXCELLENT. One of the best anime I've ever seen, and it's already competing with Higurashi for my favorite. I definately recommend it for any Higurashi fan, or anyone in general. Sure, the first episode's kinda slow, but it can only get better, right? I give it a 9/10!
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Christian, otaku, writer, artist, gamer, and guitarist. :3
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