This is to cover a 2 year long replay of the initial 4 episodes and despite how long it took me to reach this point, I haven't had this much fun with a replay likely ever. It's the reason why I was actually able to finish (or at least part of it), despite everything. I almost never finish the replays that I start up for a myraid of reasons, but welp... that Umineko brainrot hits hard when it decides to 🥲

I don't know when I'll get around to the dreaded yet necessary Chiru reread so it may be a two year journey in the making too... however that seems somehow unlikely at this point. Umineko is without question a brilliant story to me. One that I will take with me throughout the rest of my life, it has given me an innumerable amount of moments of genuine happiness. Everytime I reflect on its core, its heart, to use Umineko's coined, trademark terms... I realize that it goes so far beyond 'just another story' for me and has irreversibly made it's mark on my life and way of thinking, much for the better, I'd argue.

When I first read Umineko, I was a dumb kid who, while surprisingly putting my fair share of thought into it for the time, couldn't have nearly understood the full scope of its impact on me and its message until much, much later. Even after the credits rolled on episode 8, and I was left with naught but a tear streaked face and pure admiration, it took many more reexaminings of it for me to take away what I've finally managed to wrest from deep beneath the initial surface level inlet of understanding I had grasped from my initial read alone.

I love this story so much, and honestly... I feel with certainty I can proclaim "this game will have a happy ending" miles before that scene rears its ugly head