Umineko no Naku Koro ni (うみねこのなく頃に lit. When the Seagulls Cry) is an anime adaptation of the visual novel series of the same name, first announced by 07th Expansion and animated by Studio DEEN. The series aired in Japan on Chiba TV from July 2, 2009 to December 24, 2009, and would air on additional stations at later times. It contains 26 episodes, encompassing the Question Arcs.
The anime was licensed in the US by NIS America under the English title Umineko: When They Cry in 2012.
Contents
Introduction
The affluent Ushiromiya family patriarch, Kinzo, is on his deathbed, and his family has assembled at their private island to discuss the division of his estate. As they bicker over their father's immense inheritance, a typhoon closes in, trapping them on the island. They suddenly receive an eerie word of warning...and then, in the dead of night, the murders begin.
One by one, family members are discovered murdered in bizarre and inhuman ways. Some within the family turn to superstition, blaming it on a witch rumored to inhabit the island. But one of them - the young Battler Ushiromiya - refuses to accept the supernatural and vows to uncover the real killer behind the seemingly impossible slaughters. He soon finds himself confronted by the apparent witch, and enters into a life-or-death battle for the truth.[1]
List of Episodes
| Episode | Cover | Name | Release Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Opening | July 2, 2009 (TV) October 23, 2009 (DVD) | |
| 2 | First Move | July 9, 2009 (TV) October 23, 2009 (DVD) | |
| 3 | Dubious Move | July 16, 2009 (TV) November 26, 2009 (DVD) | |
| 4 | Blunder | July 23, 2009 (TV) November 26, 2009 (DVD) | |
| 5 | Fool's Mate | July 30, 2009 (TV) December 23, 2009 (DVD) | |
| 6 | Middle Game | August 6, 2009 (TV) December 23, 2009 (DVD) | |
| 7 | Early Queen Move | August 13, 2009 (TV) January 22, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 8 | Weak Square | August 20, 2009 (TV) January 22, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 9 | Skewer | August 27, 2009 (TV) February 24, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 10 | Accept | September 3, 2009 (TV) February 24, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 11 | Back Rank Mate | September 10, 2009 (TV) March 25, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 12 | Castling | September 17, 2009 (TV) March 25, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 13 | Gambit | September 24, 2009 (TV) April 21, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 14 | Positional Play | October 1, 2009 (TV) April 21, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 15 | Isolated Pawn | October 8, 2009 (TV) May 26, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 16 | Queening Square | October 15, 2009 (TV) May 26, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 17 | Promotion | October 22, 2009 (TV) June 23, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 18 | Swindles | October 29, 2009 (TV) June 23, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 19 | End Game | November 5, 2009 (TV) July 22, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 20 | Zugzwang | November 12, 2009 (TV) July 22, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 21 | Prophylaxis | November 19, 2009 (TV) August 25, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 22 | Problem Child | November 26, 2009 (TV) August 25, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 23 | Breakthrough | December 3, 2009 (TV) September 23, 2010(DVD) | |
| 24 | Adjourn | December 10, 2009 (TV) September 23, 2010(DVD) | |
| 25 | Forced Move | December 17, 2009 (TV) October 22, 2010 (DVD) | |
| 26 | Sacrifice | December 24, 2009 (TV) October 22, 2010 (DVD) |
Staff
Key Staff
- Original Creator: Ryukishi07
- Director: Chiaki Kon
- Series Composition: Toshifumi Kawase
- Character Design: Youko Kikuchi
- Music: Akiko Shikata, Jimang, -45
Voice Cast
| Character | Voice Actor |
|---|---|
| Kinzo Ushiromiya | Mugihito |
| Krauss Ushiromiya | Juurouta Kosugi |
| Natsuhi Ushiromiya | Emi Shinohara |
| Jessica Ushiromiya | Marina Inoue |
| Eva Ushiromiya | Miki Itou |
| Hideyoshi Ushiromiya | Masashi Hirose |
| George Ushiromiya | Kenichi Sumahara |
| Rudolf Ushiromiya | Rikiya Koyama |
| Kyrie Ushiromiya | Atsuko Tanaka |
| Battler Ushiromiya | Daisuke Ono |
| Rosa Ushiromiya | Ami Koshimizu |
| Maria Ushiromiya | Yui Horie |
| Genji Ronoue | Masato Funaki |
| Shannon | Rie Kugimiya |
| Kanon | Yuu Kobayashi |
| Toshiro Gohda | Hitoshi Bifu |
| Chiyo Kumasawa | Yasuko Hatori |
| Terumasa Nanjo | Akihito Ishizumi |
| Beatrice | Sayaka Oohara |
| Lucifer | Yuka Saitou |
| Leviathan | Madoka Yonezawa |
| Satan | Youko Hikasa |
| Belphegor | Seiko Yoshida |
| Mammon | Ayano Niina |
| Beelzebub | Yuri Yamaoka |
| Asmodeus | Aki Toyosaki |
| Bernkastel | Yukari Tamura |
| Lambdadelta | Fuyuka Ooura |
| Ronove | Tomokazu Sugita |
| Virgilia | Kikuko Inoue |
| EVA-Beatrice | Miki Itou |
| Gaap | Yuki Kaida |
| Chiester 410 | Eri Kitamura |
| Chiester 45 | Mariko Mizuno |
| Chiester 00 | Shion Hirota |
| Ange Ushiromiya | Rina Satou |
| Amakusa Juuza | Kouji Yusa |
| Tetsuro Okonogi | Juurouta Kosugi |
| Kasumi Sumadera | Atsuko Tanaka |
| Sakutarou | Minori Chihara |
| Professor Ootsuki | Takayuki Kondou |
| Masayuki Nanjo | Akihito Ishizumi |
| Sabakichi Kumasawa | Hideyuki Umezu |
| Captain Kawabata | Daisuke Matsuoka |
Reception
According to someanithing.com. the anime made 96.1 million yen (US equivalent: approx. $1,032,000, taking into account 2009 conversion rates) from DVD and Blu-Ray sales on its first release.[2] 62% of its initial sales were DVDs while the rest were BDs.[3]
As of December 16, 2020, the anime sits at a score of 7.14 on MyAnimeList and an average score of 65% on AniList.
Trivia
- All of the episodes are named after moves in chess.
