It’s really exactly as @sii_kei and @danpmss said …also that’s strange to think we were all probably on the same boards talking about Umineko so long ago.
The memes back then were really fun and wild too, though nowadays I wouldn’t find all of them in good taste as a 15-16 year old me might, haha. (The Oh Desire! vid is still perfect. Yami wo Kirisaku load this dryer)
ahem
The only thing I can remember really strongly in regard to theories was Shkanontrice being really popular and at odds with Rosatrice. As danpmss said, by EP6 Shkanontrice was pretty much strongly implied canon and then EP7 confirmed it, and left a lot of people with either team Rosatrice or other theories with a bitter taste in their mouth; but that being said as the story progressed it was really more clear who was right - I think they just didn’t want to accept that.
Also alot of people hated Erika and there was probably “Erika is a Mary Sue” thread everyday or was continuing everyday, until EP6 came out. Also, Bernkastel actually expressing a range of emotions was like a huge hype and reveal, and everyone was having fun looking at her new expressive sprites.
The usage of Ryukishi’s original sprites for reaction faces and memes was what made it super popular I think. Because Beatrice’s original “troll smile” was so similar to the troll face meme at the time, it just took off. Battler crying was the perfect seasoning to go along with Beatrice’s troll smile. And also it was a meme that his hand never left his pocket despite sobbing and screaming, haha.
I can’t remember but using red and blue, and eventually gold text was a thing for a while on /jp/ I believe, but I might honestly be imagining that - but I could have sworn something like that was implemented for a short while.
Mostly it was the same as how it is when we get new readers here, but a lot more wild and no one around to know how it ends or know there is even a set ending, giving an air of a lot more freedom/wildness to explore. Some people definitely had the skills to solve the epitaph and the story before EP4 looking back, but they had no way to confirm if it was true or not.
I agree that they really were the most fun times I’ve ever had with a fandom and even it’s extending to now on Rokkenjima! I also hope this happens with WTC5, at least the good parts overall as it was with Umineko. The fire never really came back with Higanbana or Rose Guns Days, or even Trianthology.