[UsagiTenpura]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

My point is not about "lack of hints", which is an entirely different matter that I'd rather not address now, but the lack of confirmation of "what happened" which made pointless any attempt to foresee it.

And I'm talking here not about the whole story in its entirity, because there's a lot of stuff that could be predicted, was predicted and was confirmed (more or less) but all that stuff (including the single twilights, shkanon and the rokkenjima prime incident) that are left inside the catbox.

Arguing about the content of a catbox is absolutely pointless. By the assumption of the very concept of the schroedinger cat, the cat is neither alive nor dead, it's both.
The only thing that it is worthwhile to discuss about is if whether at the time the catbox will be opened the cat will be alive or dead. However if the catbox will never get opened all those people who tried to predict the outcome of such event just wasted their time.

It is not pointless if you enjoy it. Or rather, maybe fun is pointless, but who cares?

That's exactly my point, it isn't really a matter of "murder mystery" rules. Of course one could could make critics on Umineko based on those, but the "lack of answers about central parts of the plot" is a problem that lies on a general narrative level.

Well I still don't think anyone _really_ attempted to solve Umineko that way, might be surprised and come out with a clearer answer. Or maybe not, but nonetheless from my pov at least it seems that approaching Umineko in a new light that might provide understanding is not even something the majority are interested in.

I'm not saying that you lack criticims, but according to that definition one is more likely to win the lower is his level of criticism.
It's like a game where you win by lack of skills rather than by possessing them.

That is entirely correct, but sorta an entire point on the side. Children tend to be more easily amused. While growing up experience makes us search (usually) for better things. But I don't get this, you seem to be suggesting a sort of "fiction elite" when you should only read challenging stories and masterpiece. I'm sure that's wrong, but it does come out that way. Isn't someone easily amused someone who can also be thought of as "not picky or demanding" ?
Being picky to the point I saddly am makes it so that I haven't watched TV, a movie, or an anime, in nearly two years now (reading novels).

Did that ever happen? I mean to that level you are imagining? There are a lot of things that were predicted and were confirmed, but I don't remember someone going out and claiming "I told you so, assholes!"

Well they wouldn't be that blunt about it. Internet makes it so people have this passive aggressive behavior, coupled with condescending paternalizing attitude. This doesn't concern just this forum or just Umineko. Still it'd be easier to believe that it wouldn't be that if the critics of Ryuukishi didn't sound like everyone wrote tons of mystery fiction in their life and are coaching a junior writer. Basically if the tone would change to something like "I would've done it that way if I wrote Umineko" rather then "Ryuukishi should've done x or y" I wouldn't think that way. I'm aware that is not everyone btw, but I still think this is mostly what could come out of Ryuukishi revealing the truth.

@ Wanderer : It's amazing if that was actually true. I don't know if it is or not, but iono when over a year after the final release of a story you still post daily about how Ryuukishi "fucked things up" or trying to "objectively discredit Umineko/Ryuukishi" what am I supposed to believe?