Considering how everyone is discussing our favorite little mass murderer, how about a blast from the past?
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Yeah, I think so too. Erika and Ange have some really clear similaritiesâtheyâre both witches of truth who have difficulty believing in magic despite being witches, probably killed themselves, worked for Bernkastel, oppose Beatrice, and are obsessed with finding the truth despite emotional consequences. Iâm kinda super interested in this dynamic.
Episode 8 is basically a long-form how-Ange-and-Beatrice-are-similar analysis. Their experiences and they way that handle them have a lot in common.
What Iâm kind of curious is how Erika and Beatrice parallel each other. Itâs the least explored of these dynamics and Iâm not sure I know what to say about it.
Eh, its been a while since Iâve thought about their dynamic but from what I remember from my various musings on Tumblr, it mainly had to do with the fact that both Erika and Beatrice had parents that were abusively neglectful and they both had shitty boyfriends.
Iâll answer more in full later after I gathered my thoughts. But I do remember thinking that the two were very similar and I found the Erika/Beatrice parallel very interesting.
Would just like to chim in real quick: I got the idea of Erika being some perverted version of Yasuâs approach to mysteries (as an avid reader) from reading the confession in the manga. Marriage was a pretty big ideal for Shannon, and only then did I realise that there is one other marriage in the story, between Battler and Erika, with Erika taking the initiative.
So thatâs where my thoughts turned to the idea that Erika might be more than just the Mary Sue of the Witch Hunters. Although it is just an idea at this point. Got anything regarding that as well? Personally cannot really remember whether Erika had another reason than to just subjugate his will completely.
HahâŚnow that you mention Confession that was where I realized that Erika and Beatrice were parallels of each other. Wish I could remember. 
Mmm, Iâm not exactly sure If I had anything regarding BattlerâŚIâll have to check later as Iâm in class now.
It was mentioned earlier that Battlerâs moral compass is a bit off, and thereâs some evidence of it at the start of EP4 when Ange drops her cup, disgusted at the scene of Rosa and Maria. Battler tells her, âThis is where things start get interesting!â, which really seems to prove that he was enjoying the games and really just considered them fun games to play with Beato and clearly wasnât ever taking the fact that the games could affect others (which thankfully, he does take that into consideration eventually). Iâm not that good at putting such analysis into words, but on the Goats Rereading Seacats blog, they had a really good analysis of it, as a contrast between the two siblings.
But yeah, as a veteran of the series who joined in after EP5 came out and the anime was being released, what turned off a lot of people was that Answer of the Golden Witch interview Ryukishi had. It felt way too condescending, and while I donât doubt some fans just wanted the answers handed to them, the majority of them just wanted to check if their things had been right, like at the end of most mystery novels where the answers are revealed to see if the reader got the answer right (like how at the end of And Then There Were None, all is revealed and things should generally click into place if they hadnât already.) His attitude at least seems to have changed, since EP7 and EP8âs manga seems to have given a sort of checklist to see how things most likely occurred in the games, even if I think some of those answers (particularly EP3âs) felt cheap.
I might be reading into things, but there could be odd parallels (or maybe a different math term) in how Erika and Yasu are introduced to us. Erikaâs introduced as being liked by everybody and charming the whole family with being a perfect and refined lady (which only seems to add onto the fact sheâs a parody of Mary Sue self-inserts), while as Shannon and definitely Yasu, they donât stand out too much (except to Battler, who wants to make everybody smile since itâs been a while since he last saw everyone) except if they make certain errors, and from there, they get scolded for their mistakes. Theyâre both extremely determined to do what they do (for Sayo, her determination that sheâs a witch is what astounds Lambda in Lambdaâs recollection TIP, and for Erikaâs, itâs her assertion that she is the detective and WILL solve the mystery).
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Man I loved that blog, I wonder where they went? Anyway, while I donât think it was needed-due to Battlerâs character being good as is-part of me wishes that Ryukishi capitalized on the more darker aspects of Battlerâs character instead of keeping it all subtle. (Damn it EP6 whyâd you have to waste all your potential?!)
I personally disagree, but each to her own.
I feel like Erika and Sayoâs development are the exact opposite of each other. They both have relatively similar backgrounds, but they evolve in quite distinctively different ways.
I know the people who run it are still on tumblr, they just havenât really updated since their first few posts into EP5.I loved their blog since it felt so particularly unbiased (even as they loved on Sayo) while a lot of the WTC re-readers seemed to let their biases bleed into their analysis.
I would have loved to see Battlerâs more dark moments, besides the few joking ones like âIâm gonna kill my parents for naming me Battlerâ and the obvious Kuroki Batora (who seems more like a parody of like Shadow the Hedgehog and other edgelord recoloring characters, and the closest we might get to seeing the darker sides of Battler would probably be one end in Golden Fantasia, but spoilers since the game ainât officially out from Mangagamer yet). (RIP EP6âs potential. We shall miss ye. The idea sounded good but execution⌠and all the gameboard possibilities, tooâŚ)
I agree. I couldnât think of the proper words. But in maybe a weird twist of fate, the deaths they have in Prime seem to be exactly the same, albeit done with different circumstances-Erika, who fell off a boat and most likely drowned near Rokkenjima, and Sayo, who jumped off a boat and drowned.
That scene in Ep6 where he talks to piece!Beatrice was really great. Reminded me of the scene in EoE where Shinji does the âthingâ to Asukaâs comatose body. Shit was lit.
âŚNow that I think about it, Beatrice is just the role of Rei with Asukaâs personality.
Honestly on my second reread, I didnât even dislike Ep6. There were a lot of good moments but I feel like a lot of the plotlines didnât live up to their potential. And a lot of those plotlines were really good/had very interesting ideas, so it stung more.
How about a new topic since its gotten a bit quiet around here.
What is your favorite ship and WHY is it BeaBato? 
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Ha! Jokeâs on you, I like the evil lesbian witches every bit as much as our doomed lover protagonists.
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Yeah, gotta go with Lambda x Bern. Theyâre just wonderful =P
On please~! As if those two crusty old witches could ever match up to the glory that is BeaBato. I bet their vaginas are all shriveled up.
As if you could ever match such passionate, desperate, and yet soul searching and depressing love! Truly, not even Shakespeare could have written something soâŚbeautiful.
You know whatâs a good representation of BeaBato? This:
You canât get anything more wonderful than this!
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If only they werenât so incompetent, right?
That just makes it even better~
A couple that succeeds at everything is no fun. You need some spice in it! 
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As I said, crusty boring old people!
Booooooooriiiiiiing!
As if Berndadelta could ever match up to what I wrote about BeaBato earlier.
But doesnât Beato call herself a thousand year old witch?
*Actually 19 years old
Besides, Beato is best girl anyway. Anyone she fugs is automatically based.
âŚI was thinking yesterday that among the more hilarious things goats say about Umineko is that Erikaâs behavior in EP8 contradicted her ending in EP6.
It honestly makes me sad. Barely any of these detractors have any sort of reading comprehension whatsoever.
Yes, Erika did contemplate leaving Bern, and honestly did prefer her not being there at the minute of her death, but you know what?
She never took Dlanorâs hand. If she had just taken Dlanorâs assistance, it would signify her moving on from Bernâs influence and start a new chapter in her life. Yeah, she would still be a giant bitch, but she would still believe in herself.
âŚWhat a foolish girl. Just like Beatrice in EP4, she only believed in despair and the futility of her own existence until the very end.
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