First episode peek: Umineko No Naku Koro Ni
Umineko No Naku Koro Ni (When The Seagulls Cry) is a story about the wealthy Ushiromiya family, who congregate on a private island called Rokkenjima, to discuss how the assets of the head of the family, Kinzo Ushiromiya, will be divided, as he is very much near death. Several members of the family arrive on the island, including Battler, the main character, and several aunts, uncles and cousins. Also on the island are five of Kinzo's servants and his personal physician. There is a legend of how Kinzo brought the family to wealth, involving a legend of a golden witch called Beatrice, who gave Kinzo a fortune in ten tons of gold in exchange for his soul. Much of the first episode is spent discussing this between the adults, all who are greedy and have their own reasons for wanting the gold. The youngest member of the family, Maria, is a very imaginative girl, and has studied a lot about Beatrice and seems to be keenly aware of something sinister on the island. Overall the feeling of the anime, especially that given by Maria, is eerily similar to Higurashi. Previously I had mentioned how Needless was the new TTGL, well When The Seagulls Cry is the new Higurashi.
