Hello and welcome to my 1st Inspiration Post for Stamps and Stencils. I'm Sharon and what a hard ask I've got, following the fantastic posts from Toni and Ruth.
I have recently discovered Derwent Graphik Pens, they are available in singles, small packs or the full collection of 20. They are the best value so I just had to have them...... They come in a handy storage box and have to be stored horizontally.
I started by drawing some lines to see how the ink flows, you can fill in with some colour they are very opaque!
You can also flood the nib, which is a good effect when you blow it to make a splatter.
Lines filled in splattered and then blending with Distress Inks over the top..
White card sprayed with Dylusions Ink Spray then black gesso applied with a piece of cut and dry through a stencil. I have written a few words to see how they reacted with the gesso. They were fine and I did not have to wait too long, it is a super nib which does not fray or split on rough surfaces.
It seems to be made of nylon.
After a bit of practice and playing I got out my new Journal the pages are craft paper. I started with covering the pages with Liquitex Gesso and then blending some Paper Artsy Fresco Finish Chalk Acrylics for the base of the background.
When I had enough of the background covered I painted the page with Golden Fluid Matte Medium.
I love to doodle and Zentangle, I find it very relaxing and it gives me time to think of my next project?
Here I quickly draw around the leaves, added some dots and lines the pens really cover over the surface well and don't get clogged up.
The quote is stamped using Archival Ink on a piece of ATC size watercolour paper which is blended with Tim Holtz Distress Inks.
Extended the leaves onto the card at the top.
By the way I do have more than 1 stencil, this just happens to be my favourite at the moment.
I tried the pens over a variety of paints, pastes gesso even Panpastel with no problems at all. I can see these are going to be my favourite Journaling pens, I would just be aware of flooding the nibs but you can see it start, usually with a bubble. Hope this does not put you off trying them out.
Going on holiday these would be great to add to your travelling kit and they will not take up too much space.
Hope I have not bored you too much, thank you for joining us at Stamps and Stencils, don't forget to press the follow us button it would be great to get to 100 followers in the 1st month.
Hi everyone, Ruth here with my first inspiration post...eek! here goes...I've recently become fascinated with encaustic painting and have a desire to replicate some of those wonderfully luminous, layered mixed media pieces that are out there. Having looked into it, encaustic boards and paints can be quite an investment so I thought I would start small and use the equipment I already have to start exploring this wonderful art form....and maybe inspire you along the way.
The pieces I've created above are on 2" square pieces of stamp board (anyone else have stampboard stashed away?) I didn't intend to create such small pieces as I also had some larger squares but it's just the way it went.
I'm not about to give a run down of equipment and all the mediums you can use with encaustic work, it's too large a subject. I'm also only just beginning so my knowledge is very limited! I will put some links that have inspired me at the bottom of the post and I can also highly recommend a book I recently received which is fast becoming my bible for this journey. It's 'Encaustic Painting Techniques - The whole ball of wax' by Patricia Baldwin Seggebruch.
However I will mention a few basic things.
The surface you work on has to be rigid and absorbent, so ampersand bords (stampboard), birch plywood or HDF painted with encaustic gesso are a few options. I had some 2" square dense chipboard pieces above which I also used and worked, I think because they were so small they didn't bend.
Encaustic wax is beeswax with damar resin in it (a substance that gives durability to it), however beeswax will work fine and is what I've used in this post.
Brushes have to be a natural hair or they will melt, I used a hake brush, which was inexpensive.
Watercolours, oils, dye inks, alcohol inks, oil pastels, pan pastels can all be used but acrylics can make the wax lift...so until I become more confident I'm not going there.
Fusing...when you put a coat of wax on or add some oil pastel or paints you need to fuse that layer with a heat gun, just heat till the wax goes from matte to shiny, no need to melt it all.
So were off, now as this is Stamps and Stencils, that is what I chose to use, I also used some 'scraps', dye ink pads and portfolio oil pastels. Apart from a melt pot masterclass with Hels Sheridan and a recent wax class that our DT leader Sue Carrington taught I have not made any other wax pieces so these are my first dabbles.
Wax is very forgiving, if you make a mistake just melt it off. My first piece didn't go according to plan and I was left with lines I'd scratched into the stampboard, not a problem. I said it's forgiving, wax softens sharp edges and gives a smooth sheen to everything, so even the roughest drawings and things you think are an almighty mess can turn out wonderfully with a coat or 2 of wax....honest.
Heat the board before the first coat of wax to help it go on smoothly.
Stamping...dry, wax layer...and fuse. A scrap of paper flower, wax layer.
Cutting in, I used a cutter to make an impression and then rubbed pastel into the crevice...like the pink board above. It can look quite cloudy at this stage but once cool a quick buff and a lovely sheen appears. So first piece done and I've explored a few ideas, not perfect but I had fun.
Top - both are stamped with dye ink, bottom left is on chipboard and dye ink squiggles, last is stamped coloured paper and some tissue glued on and left to dry thoroughly.
Using ribbon to make an impression in the warm wax and then rub oil pastel on.
If using metallics they need to be on the top layer or their sheen will just dissappear.
Well done if you've got through that long, photo heavy post, it will be a short one from me next time!
Welcome to today's Guest Designer, Annie !
Today we are welcoming a Guest Designer who I know won't be a stranger to you. Annie of Curious and Crafty Treasures. I'm sure you'll all give Annie a warm welcome !
Hi everyone..it's Annie here as Guest Designer for Stamps and Stencils challenge theme of 'Anything Goes'.
I was so thrilled to be invited to take part in this month's challenge, which is the first here at Stamps and Stencil's blog. The very talented Design Team have created some fabulous, inspiring projects and I hope you will find time to take part in this "for fun" challenge.
As many of you know I have been crafting for over 20 years dabbling in a variety of styles, but mainly vintage/grunge. I am a huge fan of all things Ranger and Tim Holtz so of course I had to create a project using stamps/stencils and Idea-Ology pieces from Tim's vast range. Mixed Media is fairly new for me but I am really enjoying the way that I can incorporate paints/gesso/texture paste in to so many projects and it's nice to recycle items too.
For my project below I used the aluminium from a drinks can and some leather pieces from an old discarded purse in my stash. The large wooden tag was a recent purchase and was reduced to 50 pence in M&Co, so of course I just had to buy a few !!!!
Firstly I stamped on the aluminium using Jet Black Archival Ink from Ranger. ( see below) The gentleman is from Stamper's Anonymous Tim Holtz Purveyor Stamp Set. A China Blue Distress Marker was used to colour the gentleman's eyes. To attach the aluminium to the leather I used my WRMK Cropodile to punch some holes and some nail headed brads.
The wooden tag was given two coats of Decoart Chalk Paint in Rustic, then Decoart Crackle Medium was applied.
Once the crackle medium was almost dry I applied Decoart Chalk Paint in Whisper and you can see the fabulous crackle below.
Vintage Photo, Black Soot and Rusty Hinge Distress Inks were applied to the wooden tag, providing an aged appearance. Edging the tag with the Black Soot really defined the edges, making them pop.
I also applied some Vintage Photo and Walnut Stain Distress Inks to the edges of the leather.
Below is how the tag looked before I altered it.
And this is the finished piece……………..!!
Below is a closer look at the stamped images from the Purveyor Stamp Set. The stamped papers were aged with Distress Ink and then wrinkled, spritzed and flicked with water. Some gears, a timepiece and spinner as well as a metal wing complete the look.
Thank You once again to Sue, Yvonne, Julia, Toni, Ruth and Sharon for having me join in with them on this fantastic journey. I wish you all the very best and hope to catch up with you again.
Apologies for the blip earlier with the photos not being loaded properly....these things do happen!
Hi everybody! It's Toni here and I have the pleasure of presenting the very first of our 'Inspirational Posts'. These posts will be popping up now and again, throughout the months, as we take it in turns to share some of our favourite products and techniques, which we hope will inspire and get those creative juices flowing. I've chosen to have a play with Brushos and this is what I've found out about these little pots of magic crystals !
Although they seem to be the new guys on the block, Brushos have actually been around for decades. I know this, because I had them in my classroom many moons ago! We used them as a dye substitute for colouring fabric. They are not fixable on fabric though, so it means that any fabric coloured with them, must be for decorative purposes only.
Brushos crystals come in small plastic pots. A useful tip is to bodge a few holes in the top, a bit like a pepperpot, so that that they can be easily dispensed.
On a second sheet, I spritzed each box with water and sprinkled the Brushos directly into each compartment. The colour spreads in a most fascinating way. I used these sheets as a colour reference for the rest of my experiments. I then cut lots of uniform squares of cream coloured card, approximately 12 x 12 cm. This is the size I often use in my card making, so it can be quite a handy for building up a supply of colourful backgrounds. I started off by spritzing a piece of card with water and sprinkling on Lime Green Brusho, then spritzing the surface again to activate the crystals. This is what it looks like..
So the basic application I used is , spritz, sprinkle, spritz. You can decide whether to blot the surface or dry with a heat tool. I found that blotting the surface made the colours lighter and removed some of the detail.
Here are some of my further experiments, I shall try and keep the details fairly brief but feel free to ask questions in the comments box if there is anything more you'd like to know.
In the first picture, I applied the bleach to a rubber stamp with a blending tool, In the next two samples, I used the same blending tool to apply bleach through a stencil. This was fast becoming a favourite technique, I love these effects.
Oops ! just found some more bleach effects. The first is Stamped, and in the second one the colour has been removed with a fine paint brush. Do use a brush with man made fibres, as bleach will rot natural bristles. The background of the second sample has been sprayed. I made up a few Mini Misters with water and a tiny scoop of Brusho crystals. I used Rose Red and yellow Ochre on this one.
In the first picture, I've used the Brushos to water colour the stamped image, in the second picture the sprayed background has been embossed with a script embossing folder, the writing was then highlighted with Treasure Gold paste applied with the back of a piece of Cut and Dry foam. In the third sample, I mixed a very small amount of Prussian Blue Brusho, into white embossing paste, and applied it through a Wendy Vecchi Stencil.
Three more, hope you're still with me ! The first one from this group, was initially stamped with Versa Mark and heat embossed with clear embossing powder. Brushos were then applied with the spritz, sprinkle, spritz and blot technique. In the next sample, I applied gesso through another of Wendy Vecchi's stencils, dried with a heat tool and then applied Rose Red and Prussian Blue. In the third picture in this group, The Brushos were applied through a Layering Stencil using Mini Misters.
In this last group, the first one shows a background that has been embossed and highlighted with Treasure Gold. The second one has a Terracotta background, that also has a spritz of Tarnished Brass Distress Spray and a stamped image. It's a pity the glitz doesn't show up in these two as it goes really well with the Brusho colours. In the last sample, I've used the thickening powder, that came in the Brusho set, to make a paste. It's a bit like wallpaper paste, I spread it through a Layering Stencil and sprinkled some Brushos on top. I need a bit of practice with this as the paste is much thinner than embossing paste and is inclined to seep under the stencil, interesting though.
Well if you've managed to get to here, I applaud you !!!. As you may have guessed, I'm definitely loving my Brushos. They are a wonderfully simple product that hold a myriad of possibilities. The colours are very intense, so you need only to use very little, to get good results. I think they are great for making backgrounds for stamping, stencilling and embossing and they combine really well with Distress Ink. I blended Distress Ink around the edges of several of my samples. So if you've been wondering whether to take the plunge I can only say GO FOR IT ! Until next time, happy crafting x.
Meet the DT part 3 !


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Since first coming together in 1991, Incubus have consistently elevated themselves and alternative music to new creative heights. The California band's sales eclipse 23 million albums worldwide to date with multiplatinum and platinum certifications from around the globe, and they've maintained their status as a streaming phenomenon, averaging 4.1 million monthly listeners on Spotify and clocking over 1 billion-plus streams. With iconic hits like "Drive," "Wish You Were Here," "Pardon Me," and their latest, "Our Love," Incubus have magnified the scope of alternative music with each and every album of their career. The band hails from Los Angeles and is made up of Brandon Boyd (vocals), Mike Einziger (guitar, piano, backing vocals), José Pasillas II (drums), Chris Kilmoe (turntables, keyboards), and Ben Kenney (bass).
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How do I buy a specific property from the lender?
Sorry, we can't really help you with that. You will need to contact the current owner (the bank if it is REO) and/or a local real estate agent to assist you. For specific details on preforeclosures, short sales, sheriff sales, foreclosures, and bankruptcies you can always check Foreclosure.com.
We specialize in teaching our members how to work with banks to find distressed property and software that makes it easier to find deals specific asset types. We teach a top down approach-- meaning you won't be aiming to buy properties at specific addresses-- you would be looking to buy or broker the sale of specific asset types directly from banks, rather than trying to acquire specific properties.
To learn more about our training and software, register to attend our free webinar here.
What do I do with the Note or Distressed Property?


After a particularly rebellious morning involving blue hair dye, a brand new nose piercing and the purchase of a pair of black leather platform boots, I found myself in the parlour of rather dingy tattoo studio. Flicking through pages of garishly coloured rose and skull designs, the mix of exhilaration and shame within my stomach soon proved too overwhelming, and I ducked out of the store. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, especially when it's an indelible one on your body. From the flamboyant designs of the fin de siècle 'circus freaks' to the sprawling technicolour cherry blossoms of the Yakuza, tattooing is an ever-evolving, enigmatic and fascinating art form.
In the mid nineteenth century, tattoos were the fodder of carnival "freak" shows; sticky, popcorn covered children and their incredulous parents would flock to the circus to gawk at the 'Amazing Tattooed Lady'. Briefly in vogue, ethnic tattoos among the late nineteenth-century upper-class symbolised great travel and worldliness on the part of the bearer. In the early twentieth century, tattoos were associated with the Navy and were not stigmatised. During the 1950s however, tattoos became associated with the criminal sphere, being seemingly indicative of outlaw bikers, social outcasts and the mentally ill. The 'tattoo renaissance' of the 1970s was due in part to improved hygiene regulation and the popularity of Polynesian and so-called "oriental" designs amongst the free spirited, flower power hippies. Once a blatant sign of rebellion and counterculture, inked skin now meets our eyes at every turn, on professional athletes, Hollywood's darlings and even the odd university professor.
Worn as an expression of integrity, Maori identity and prestige, whakapapa and history, ta moko is encapsulates one's tapu, or spiritual being. Declining during the 20th century, ta moko has been revived as an important art form in recent times, worn as an expression of cultural pride and integrity. In my opinion, ta moko is an exceptionally beautiful and intricate art form that deserves recognition and respect for its cultural significance.
Self-portrait by Te Pehi Kupe. Wikimedia Commons.
Tattoos therefore are historically perceived as the embodiment of a person's inability to conform to the prevailing social norms, values and beliefs, as exemplified by the history of Tahitian tattoos. Prior to the colonisation of Tahiti, tattooing was a means of manipulating the level of tapu, or noa, that divided society, allowing individuals from different genders, age and classes to interact. With the arrival of missionaries in the 1880s, tattooing became denigrated and ultimately prohibited. This art form lay dormant until the cultural revitalisation movement of the late 20th century, when it became a form of expressing a connection with the traditional culture. Indeed, many Tahitians proudly reappropriated the tattoo as a symbol of "otherness" and defiance of French Colonialism.
Tahiti 18th century map. Wikimedia commons.


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The 2030 WRG Strategy
2030 WRG in the News
Vietnam – News
Global Partnerships Coordinator/Asia Regional Water Resources Management Specialist
Rochi Khemka
Vietnam Country Coordinator
Hoa Trinh
The 2030 Water Resources Group (2030 WRG) is a public, private, civil society partnership hosted by the World Bank Group. The partnership supports country-level collaboration designed to unite diverse groups with a common interest in the sustainable management of water resources.
Our global partners include bilateral agencies and governments (Swiss Development Cooperation, Swedish Development Cooperation, the governments of Hungary and Israel), private companies (Nestlé, PepsiCo, Coca-Cola, Dow Chemical, Ab InBev), development banks (IFC, World Bank, African Development Bank, Inter-American Development Bank), INGOs and IGPs (UNDP, GGGI, GWP, the World Economic Forum, BRAC and IUCN). The 2030 WRG was launched in 2008 at the World Economic Forum and has been hosted by The World Bank Group since 2012.
2030 WRG is a public, private, civil society partnership hosted by the World Bank Group
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We need the complete information below as soon as possible in order to meet closing deadlines.
FAILURE OR DELAY IN PROVIDING THIS INFORMATION WILL CAUSE A DELAY IN CLOSING.
We understand selling your home and moving is a very stressful time in a person's life. In order to serve you better and reduce stress, we have compiled this handy guide to aid you with your closing process.
Please arrive early for your scheduled closing time, failure to arrive on time will delay both your closing and others. This is extremely inconsiderate for other individuals trying to sell their homes and will cause unnecessary stress among the parties. If our schedule is clear and both parties are present, we may be able to start your closing early and finish the exciting process of selling your home ahead of schedule.
The Seller(s) will need to bring a valid government issued ID to closing such as a driver's license or passport. We will need to make a copy of it for the file upon your arrival. It is important the the ID is not expired.
At the closing, the Seller(s) will have the option of receiving their funds by either a wire or a check. Disbursements made by wire are faster, however, your bank may charge you for use of their wire transfer service. If you would like us to wire the funds to you, please bring your account information with you to the closing.
We will send you the proper wiring instructions for your funds if you need to wire money into our escrow account. In order to protect you from wire fraud, we ask that you call and confirm all wiring instructions at the bank when initiating the wire transfer.
•	If the Seller cannot attend closing- a Power of Attorney or a mail out can be arranged at an additional charge in advance of closing.
• If the seller(s) are divorced or in the process of getting a divorce.
•	If one or more owners of the property are deceased -we will need a copy of the death certificate and probate information in advance of the closing.
• If a seller's name has changed since the purchase of the property.
•	If the title to the property is in the name of a Trust- we will need to see copies of the Trust in advance of closing.
• If the property is in foreclosure or the seller(s) have filed bankruptcy.
Incorporation or the Operating Agreement in advance of closing.
IT IS IMPORTANT THAT ALL APPLICABLE INFORMATION BE FILLED IN COMPLETELY TO ENSURE A SMOOTH CLOSING.
PLEASE FEEL FREE TO CONTACT THIS OFFICE SHOULD YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS REGARDING THE ABOVE INFORMATION.
This is NOT the address of the property being sold. Please put the address where you would like us to mail checks and other important documents AFTER your home is sold.
If you are a corporate or business seller, please provide our office with corporate documents before closing.
Are the Seller(s) a Georgia resident?
Has the Seller(s) filed Georgia Tax Returns in the last two years?
Does the property have a mobile home or manufactured home?
Are the Seller(s) in or have they been in Bankruptcy?
Are any of the Seller(s) deceased?
Have the Seller(s) had any name changes from when the property was purchased?
Please provide the following payoff information below. If the space is not applicable, please write "NA" in the space provided.
FAILURE TO PROMPTLY PROVIDE THE NECESSARY PAYOFF INFORMATION WILL DELAY YOUR CLOSING.
Are you aware of any liens on the property?
Have you received any payment demands or foreclosure notices?
Are there HOA/Condo Association Dues?
Is so, are they mandatory?
Is water service through the HOA?
Are the HOA dues payable monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually?
What is the name of the HOA or Association Management Company?
What is the name of the subdivision the property is located in?
What is the email address for the HOA contact person?
Please answer the following items below if applicable.
Is the Seller providing a home warranty?
If the seller is providing a home warranty, what is the name of the company providing the warranty?
Is the seller providing a termite letter?
If the seller is providing a termite letter, what company are they using?
If the seller is providing a termite letter, is the letter paid for?
fraud and risk losing your funds to a fraudster. Please question and treat as highly suspect any follow up or later emails you receive from a mortgage lender, closing attorney, real estate agent, or any person involved in your transaction that is directing you to wire funds to a new place or new account number. OUR WIRE INSTRUCTIONS WILL NOT CHANGE. Do not call a number or use an email that is on any revised, followup or new instructions that you receive at a later date since those are highly likely to be fake instructions and will give you a fake verification from a computer fraudster trying to divert your funds. Please always take a moment to verify the contact information and phone number of Parkway Law Group to be sure it is going to the right place.


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Science and Math Degrees
Biology Major and Minor
Undergraduate Scientific Research
Biology Honor Society
Let your curiosity take over as you experience life through a scientific lens. Earn your Biology degree at Curry College to launch a career in scientific research, prepare for graduate or medical school, or pursue one of dozens of career paths exploring our natural world.
Biology (B.A.) Major and Biology Minor Requirements
Biology (B.S.) Major and Honors Requirements and Learning Outcomes
Chemistry courses, including:
Introduction to Chemistry
and elective courses, like:
Advanced Physiology
Math Minor
Chemistry Minor
Science Scholars – Peer Tutoring
Beta Beta Beta Honor Society
Pre-Health Club
Careers in Biology
The Path to Your Dream Career
Earn your Biology degree and prepare for a career in:
Just a few of the many career options include:
Graduate and Medical School
Physician's Assistant
Environmental Biologist
Our Alumni in the Field
Recent internship locations students have applied to include UMass Medical School, UMass Boston, Brigham and Women's Hospital, the Broad Institute, and more. Our alumni are leading the way at:
UConn Graduate School - Cell/Molecular Ph.D. Program
UMass Medical School
Ismae Bailey '21 to become newest Death Detective in Las Vegas
Ismae Bailey, a senior with a double major in Forensic Science and Biology, has worked diligently to achieve her dream of becoming a forensic pathologist. Between a full schedule of academics, student government, and community service work, Ismae returns home to Las Vegas every summer and winter break to shadow the Coroner at the Clark County Medical Examiner's Office.
The Learning Commons and Science and Research Center was designed to support the success of every student at Curry. It provides a space and tools that facilitate the College's approach to teaching and learning, mentoring and empowering students to help them achieve their ambitions. This powerful new feature of the Curry campus is an embodiment of the College's mission and strategic vision for the future.
Students participating in Science-related majors at Curry conduct research in collaboration with members of the Science faculty. Students present their research at department capstone events as well as the College's Academic Forum.
Pre-Health Professions
If you are considering pursuing a career as a physician, dentist, veterinarian, physician assistant, or other medical careers requiring an advanced degree, you should consider Curry's Pre-Health Profession Studies Program.
Exploratory Health Professions
The Exploratory Health Professions Program is designed to help students interested in health services fields identify and pursue a major that will lead to internships and employment in the health care industry.
EHP Program
Tri-Beta is a society for students dedicated to improving the understanding and appreciation of biological study and extending the boundaries of human knowledge through scientific research.
Beta Beta Beta
Pre-Health E.L.I.T.E.
Pre-Health E.L.I.T.E. (Enhanced Learning Implemented Through Experience) looks to strengthen the students who are interested in pursuing a career in the medical profession or exploring the field further.
We're excited you're considering our outstanding Curry College academic programs and look forward to helping you reach your career goals.


I'd like to say I don't usually take photos of dodgy magazines on shop shelves, but it's becoming an increasingly regular occurrence!
Here's the pic I discreetly took!
Yes, it's been a while, but we are about to return. And what a way to do it!
Or visit the sites on the poster for tickets!
Here's a yummy piece of chocolate to get you in the mood!
Love this piece of Pikemon art by Demiurgic. See demiurgic.tumblr.com for more.
Judging from the first image from the new Rob Zombie film, I'm guessing it won't be big on laughs!
My regular pic dump with all sorts of freshness this week!


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Photo by Margus Riga
Arguably the Most Photographed Biking Zone on the Planet
This region is where BC mountain biking was born and where it thrives today. World-class bike communities—from the North Shore to Pemberton, the Fraser Valley, and over to the Sunshine Coast—make this region a true hot spot of biking culture, trail building progression, and unmatched terrain.
Vancouver's North Shore known for its technical terrain, hand-built wooden features, tight switchbacks, and rooty and rocky downhill that is also begnning to sproat flowy all-mountain and cross-country trails. Variety is Fraser Valley's forte where riders can choose from six main trail networks. Long descents and manageable climbs are the pinnacles of Squamish riding where loamy dirt intersects with granite features as a natural stage for downhillers and trail riders alike. Manicured trails and features are designed for every level of rider at the Whistler Bike Park and riding in the Whistler Valley claims endless kilometres of singletrack and enduro riding. In Pemberton, a vast trail network has an array of amazing well-maintained singletrack with steep, loose, and long descents. While the lower Sunshine Coast has a wide range of fun and flowy trails for any style or level of rider and Powell River's extensive trail network is marked by loamy soil and skinny singletrack resides in the midst of the in rainforest of the Coast Mountains.
Spots to Ride
Neverending Coast Mountain riding.
Sculpted over millennia, by glaciers and rivers, the Fraser Valley is one amazing region to explore. Just an hour away from Vancouver, here you'll find massive peaks rising above the mighty Fraser River that winds itself through the landscape. Trail-seekers here will discover quality trails that offer both technical challenge and flow, along with great bike shops and après-ride experiences.
Learn More about Fraser Valley
When it comes to mountain biking, few places in the world rival Squamish's legendary trails with rock slabs, deep loam, and amazing flow. From its industrial heritage, the town has transformed into a world-class destination for adventure seekers and is home to a welcoming biking community that builds, maintains, and rides the hundreds of kilometres of trails found within a few minutes from the centre of town.
Learn More about Squamish
All self-respecting mountain bikers owe it to themselves to experience Whistler's incredible trail diversity and legendary terrain. Whistler is a bike-friendly community to its core and visiting riders can rely completely on two wheels to explore the incredible network of trails scattered around the Whistler Valley.
Learn More about Whistler
There is no need for your bike to stay unused in the shed when you can ride the Sunshine Coast year-round. The array of different terrain—from adrenaline pumping downhill to technical cross-country—accommodates every style and level of rider. The Southern Sunshine Coast—a short 40-minute ferry from Horseshoe Bay—is known for its smooth flow trails through spectacular scenery while the Northern Sunshine Coast is notorious for its phenomenal cross-country rides through vibrant old-growth forests.
Learn More about Sunshine Coast
For over 20 years the Whistler Mountain Bike Park has set the standard for gravity-fueled mountain biking. Nowhere else on the planet offers as much fun on two wheels as Whistler does. Every aspect of the bike park has been carefully planned and crafted to make sure that you not only have as much fun as possible, but also to help you progress your skills and become a more confident rider. Open May 30 - October 11.
Learn More about Whistler Mountain Bike Park
Vancouver's North Shore is comprised of three municipalities (District of North Vancouver, City of North Vancouver, and the District of West Vancouver) and one very large mountain biking community. Since the 1980s when the first mountain bikes set treads on the North Shore a small team of dedicated trail builders have quietly created an immense labyrinth of trails inspired by nothing more than nature and their imaginations for what is possible on a bike. It is truly one of a kind.
Learn More about North Shore
At the north end of the Sea-to-Sky Highway is Pemberton, the hidden gem among so many well-known riding destinations found further down the road. Not to be underestimated, this place offers some of the most technically advanced trails in the province.
Learn More about Pemberton
Uncover stories from Vancouver Coast & Mountains.
7-Day Itinerary: Coastal Riding News
Exploring Whistler with Guestagrammer Justa Jeskova News
Riding Squamish with Guestagrammer Cecile Gambin News
Exploring the Sunshine Coast with Brice Shirbach News
How to Ride the North Shore and Love it (Really) News
Shots from Vancouver Coast & Mountains. Share yours using #mtbbc.
Start Planning Your Visit
The Vancouver, Coast & Mountains region is located in the southwest corner of the province, often referred to as the Lower Mainland, it encompasses Greater Vancouver, Sunshine Coast, Sea to Sky, and the Fraser Valley. Vancouver is BC's largest city and main terminus for visitors arriving by air, land, and sea. Vancouver International Airport (YVR), Pacific Central Station, Tsawwassen and Horseshoe Bay Ferry Terminals, and the Trans-Canada Highway (Highway 1) all provide access to this incredible outdoor playground.
Learn more about Vancouver, Coast & Mountains.
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When to Ride
Find the best time to ride and more weather information.
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Find more information and resources to plan your mountain bike trip in BC.


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← [VN Music Spotlight]: Higurashi no Naku Koro ni – Dear You
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[Visual Novel Review]: Umineko no Naku Koro ni (+Chiru)
Developer – 07th Expansion (Ryukishi07)
Translator – Witch Hunt
Length – Chapters 1-4 – 50+ Hours
Chapters 5-8 – 50+ Hours
Version Played – PS3 Sprites & Voices Patch
I am torn. In many ways Umineko no Naku Koro ni is a great visual novel…and yet in many ways it falls short of being one. At times while reading I felt that it would surely become one of my favourite tales. Its sheer energy and uniqueness made it a wonderful experience. However, there were more times I was bitterly disappointed by the way events were portrayed and the direction of the story itself. Ryukishi07, having also written Higurashi, has some kind of odd talent for producing stories with excellent ideas and writing quality that still manage to claw their way back down to mediocrity, and I find it thoroughly frustrating.
The isolated island of Rokkenjima, the illustrious Ushiromiya family, the Golden Witch Beatrice, and a series of horrific and unexplainable murders. On the day of his family's annual conference Ushiromiya Battler is drawn into a world of madness in which Mystery and Fantasy vie for control as his loved ones fall dead at his feet. With magic-hurling witches and their demonic familiars on one hand, and hidden rooms with deadly traps on the other, it is up to Battler to find the truth surrounding the crimes plaguing his family home. If his sanity survives the ordeal, he will yet have to decide if the truth is worth knowing.
Much like its predecessor Higurashi (review here), Umineko just doesn't seem to know what it wants to be. Predominantly of the mystery genre it constantly challenges its readers to solve the puzzles it presents, with closed-room murders and other unexplainable circumstances being its bread and butter. However, the entire story is more or less presented from a fantastical point of view which is both a wonderful and terrible thing. The inclusion of the witch Beatrice and her various minions allows for a lot of character to make its way into the story, providing a source of brilliant antagonism for Battler as well as a contrast to the ordinary, everyday confrontations and emotions of the story that can be really quite remarkable. On the flip-side, however, that aspect absolutely cripples the reader's ability to respond to the "challenge" Ryukishi07 poses, as there is almost no way to tell which scenes are factual and which have no truth in them whatsoever. In addition to this there are times that the descriptions of events border on the absurd, completely jarring you out of any feeling of immersion you might have had. Someone launched 10 spears which each broke into 3 rose petals followed by 8 horses resulting in 673.5 lightning bolts…what?!
Moments of odd writing aside, the most enjoyable and exciting portions of the novel stem from the interface between fantasy and reality. Battler's arguments with the near-omnipotent witch Beatrice for the existence of mundane explanations for various murders and occurrences are absolute gold and will often run parallel to your own thoughts on how things might have been done. In fact, I would go so far as to say that those interactions are what make the first four episodes of Umineko so much fun to read and be involved in. It is unfortunate, then, that they are mostly dropped for the remaining 50+ hours of reading you would have to do to finish the story. Ignoring for a moment the character changes that I will discuss later, what used to be two charismatic rivals attempting to out-argue each other with entertaining back-and-forth and presented evidence devolves into wild claims with nothing to back them up that readers are forced to accept as truth because of how the story works. At the same time, as mentioned earlier, the scenes you are shown become less and less reliable as evidence as the story progresses. This denies the reader a lot of the enjoyment that may have been expected of the rest of the series and furthermore, for the reader who is trying to keep up with the reasoning being used, it's a game breaker.
And here's where we get to the crux of my issue with Umineko. At the end of the fourth episode there is a turning point where the story starts to shift away from its mystery aspect. While that in itself is not a problem, it was the mixture of the two genres that made the earlier experience what it was and the fantasy simply doesn't stand up on its own. When the final episode of a huge eight episode story contains next to no references to its earlier mysteries there is something wrong. Setting aside the fact that the plot rapidly declines in quality once you reach Umineko's second half, it is an absolutely undeniable truth that part of any mystery tale is the reveal. The immense feeling of satisfaction you feel if your theories were correct or the bedazzled wonderment you feel if they were wrong is crucial to a story like Umineko no Naku Koro ni. Let me tell you right now that there is no explanation, no closure, no resolution and no gratification in Umineko's mysteries. If I were to be completely honest I would admit that there are glances backwards and hints every now and then but when the entire foundation of what makes a story great lies within the inherent mystery there needs to be explicit review and revelation of what has occurred, and Umineko's greatest sin is that it does not have this. As a side note, when a writing decision (such as not to include an explanation in your ending) needs justification within the text itself, it indicates to me that the writer is aware that it is not a good idea and is copping out of their duty to properly conclude their story.
Unfortunately, Umineko also inherits some of the bad habits of the earlier When They Cry titles. Higurashi's chapter format makes a return, slowing down the pace of the story whenever a new chapter begins, though in this case it's not quite as jarring and makes a lot of sense when you consider the plot. In addition, though it's not as noticeable, thought processes are repeated over and over again as though we're expected to have forgotten them almost immediately. Strangely enough, neither of those issues make as much of a negative impact as this third new one. I can appreciate bringing in new characters to keep things fresh; it's just something that makes sense. Umineko's cast, however, grows so large it becomes impossible to give a damn about many of the characters. Adding to this is the fact that many of them only show up for an episode or two, making it incredibly difficult to develop a connection with them. Still, side characters being unremarkable is nothing new, right? As long as the main characters remain the focu-
Wait. So you're telling me (or I'm telling you, I guess), that the main characters of the earlier episodes, the ones the audience has developed connections with and cares about, fade into the background for entire episodes at a time? And that the new characters that mean next to nothing to them take centre-stage for much of the latter half of the story? But that's crazy!
Yes, but that's also Umineko.
If you've read my Higurashi review you won't be surprised when I say that Umineko's original sprites are not good, period. Without meaning to offend Ryukishi07, I would not have made it through any of his games without the graphics patches. Sorry. Having said that, the PS3 sprites are wonderful and fit the original designs of the characters perfectly. In addition, the voice patch features some of my favourite voice acting of all time. Beatrice's VA in particular deserves mounds of praise; I swear I can still hear some of her lines when I close my eyes at night. Carrying on something good from Higurashi, finally, Umineko's BGM is absolutely wonderful, though oddly enough I didn't particularly enjoy many of the tracks that were introduced in the later episodes. As a final note, and I'm fairly sure this is the fault of the patching job, but the BGM is often so loud it covers up the voices and the sound effects (which can't have their volume changed, by the way) do the same. You would think I could just change the settings and continue without complaint…well, you don't yet know that the volumes change back to default with every new scene.
Summary – "While Umineko's ups and downs may have come together to achieve a lower score than I had hoped to give it, I eagerly recommend it be read because, if you can find entertainment in what I perceived to be low points, you will discover a thoroughly enjoyable experience." – Is what I really want to say here, and what I would have said if the story had finished after the first four episodes, or perhaps continued with the same level of quality. In truth the latter episodes depart so much from what made the former ones great that it's practically not worth reading them. The Bottom Line is that Umineko no Naku Koro ni has a lot of potential to begin with. I really loved a lot of what it had to offer, so much that I would almost recommend reading the first 4 episodes and then looking up fan theories online. Heck, i'm genuinely angry at Umineko because i'm so glad I started reading it and yet can't actually recommend it to anyone. The final 4 episodes? Well, let's just say I want 50 hours of my life back.
Episodes 1-4 Score: 8.5 – Good
Episodes 5-8 Score: 4.5 – Bad
Overall Score: 6 – Average
Projected Score If Original Quality Was Maintained And The Story Handled Itself Like An Actual Mystery God Dammit: 9.5/10 – Great
This entry was posted in Reviews, Visual Novel Reviews and tagged 07th expansion, chiru, Review, umineko, umineko no naku koro ni, Visual Novel, VN. Bookmark the permalink.
26 Responses to [Visual Novel Review]: Umineko no Naku Koro ni (+Chiru)
Ryukishi's love letter to mystery novels.
I stopped Umineko after Episode 6, admittedly… I really liked the couples, though. Good ships. Reading the fan theories was fun, too (I joined the fandom before episode 6 even came out in English, so people still debated what Beatrice was, the ShaKanontrice and Rosatrice theories butting heads… while I hated them both. Well. Still fun.). I have to admit, it started becoming weird. I felt like it started insulting me because I wasn't trying to actively solve the mysteries… That was the biggest impression that I got, but I read it years ago so I don't remember exactly why. Also Beato x Battler dropped off the face of the Earth for some reason and I was sad. Yeah, so I ended up liking 1-4 a lot better than 6 on (I dropped in the middle of 7). I really liked Episode 5, admittedly. Well, the final tea party at least.
PS3 sprites definitely look so much cooler. I didn't find the originals bad necessarily, but they take some getting used to. There aren't any CGs or anything either so those look awesome. Some music tracks are great. I really like Thank You for Being Born and Far, as well as dreamenddischarger.
I should probably add a disclaimer that I didn't really discuss the mysteries with others and actively try to solve them. The people I -have- talked to really enjoy talking about the various theories so perhaps I missed out on that front. I still really enjoyed the first episodes and the mysteries that went along with them, even if I did get that same feeling you've described (which I felt was unfair, considering the degree of misdirection XD). Beato x Battler was definitely my ship for the story, which made it that much more frustration when, as you say, they more or less disappeared from the visual novel. I'll also admit that I didn't mind episode 5 so much; it's just easier to lump the second half together and I really didn't enjoy the final episodes.
Maybe i'm being unfair to the original sprites though i'm genuinely unsure if I would have kept up with the VN as long as I did without the PS3 ones. The CGs look amazing and fit the entire production wonderfull in my opinion, so I agree with you there. I had to run off and check the BGM tracks I kept so I could come back and let you know which ones were my favorites…and there were just too many to pick from. Special mentions go to Dread of the Grave, Happiness of Marionette, Dance of the Moon Rabbits, Happy Maria (because https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4sKv0LqgoXU) and Dir get special mentions. Umineko's soundtrack is just wonderful and I cannot praise it enough. Just listening to those songs again tells me that I will without a doubt play through Umineko's first four episodes again some time in the future. It's far too much to ask, but if Ryukishi returned to Umineko and wrote out an alternative Chiru I would be ecstatic.
Umineko is one of those novels that I'm torn about reading.
On the one hand, it's what I like to think of as a "candidate-10" – a visual novel that could reasonably be nominated as a candidate for a 10/10 peerless masterpiece. You look at VNs like G-Senjou, Muv-Luv and even Rewrite; and you can almost always get a "feel" for whether it has in it, that epicness to really soar to the fucking heights of glory. Reasonable people can always disagree about whether a VN is actually a masterpiece; I happen to think that there are serious flaws with Rewrite (in particular, the almost non-existent characterization for the main and final heroine), but I can see why others think it's a masterpiece – because these aforementioned flaws can (subjectively) be overlooked in favour of the other aspects (the sheer ambition of the story that Romeo is telling) that make Rewrite good.
Thus I've always been slightly annoyed with people, especially those on Fuwanovel, who hype Grisaia up to the extent of calling it the best VN ever. This is truly astounding to me – because aside from parts of Amane's route (i.e. Angelic Howl), I don't see how the VN taken as a whole can even remotely be considered a masterpiece. It doesn't have the thematic depth of a Comyu, or the mind-boggling plot of a Steins;Gate, it doesn't even really appeal to emotions the same way Narcissu or Clannad would. Whether VNs are masterpieces are ultimately subjective; but whether they objectively have what it takes to be a contender isn't, I feel.
And therein lies the problem with Umineko. It's hugely polarizing – a lot of the opinion I've read about seem to go along the lines of:
Umineko: "Holy shit, this is mind-blowingly awesome. The answers can't be that obvious, though. I'm shitting my pants in anticipation for the answers Ryuukishi will give in Chiru."
Chiru: "What the fuck Ryuukishi? How can the answers be so stupid?"
Umineko is ultimately a lot of text to go through, and I don't have much time to spare. I'm worried that I'll be utterly disappointing, especially since I have a really low tolerance for fucking around with logic and with lazy authorial resort to supernatural deus-ex-machina explanations – since that utterly defeats the anticipation being built up, and undercuts all the suspense.
All in all, would you recommend reading Umineko + Chiru? How about just reading the former? I've not actually read anything since Comyu, busy as I've been with IRL stuff and just learning Japanese. I would hate for the first VN I return to, to turn out like Grisaia – promising the world, but failing to live up to expectations.
I do get what you mean with the "candidate-10" idea. Often you can get some sort of inkling as to the quality of a visual novel just by looking at the synopsis and sample CGs. It's not perfect, of course, though I would go so far as to say it can be more reliable than the internet's "general opinion". I didn't like Rewrite myself but I can also see what you mean there.
Having now finished Grisaia and decided it is not even in view of my recommendations list (not to say it's bad, however), i'm looking back on all of the wonderful opinions of it i've read and wondering where they came from. The only conclusion I can come to on that front is that those people either haven't played the "masterpiece" titles we identify or aren't interested enough in those genres to give them a chance. Subjectivity only goes so far and Grisaia does not have the objective quality of storytelling that you -need- to make it into those top ranks. I would say more, but i've got a review coming up XD
Alright. Umineko. Here's the thing: even after having hated Chiru i'm so glad I played those first four episodes. I went back to listen to some of the BGM so I could answer the comment above this one and was transported back to the feelings that series of stories evoked. I -cannot- recommend Umineko because there is absolutely no closure to be had and that's a game-breaker for me, but if it's something you think you can handle then by all means go for it. I've been told there's a manga series that -does- actually go through the "answers" for those first episodes. It doesn't make a difference to the score I give Umineko (I mean…if it's not in the visual novel it can't count) and I haven't read them myself but they're there if that sways your decision at all.
Having said all that, I would lean toward a more satisfying VN for your triumphant return =P
Zach says:
Umineko is fine, but the problem is that the male anime nerd audience who makes up a large portion of its readers is often kinda dumb and fundamentally misunderstood the "truth/solution". Many readers treated Umineko as if it was, at its core, some sort of giant logic puzzle of red text, and this is objectively the wrong way to read it (Erika even exists to parody these readers). If you ignore the white text and fantasy scenes, the solution isn't going to make sense to you (because that's where most of the information about the culprit and motive is revealed). In particular, learning the solution absent a deeper understanding of what's going on leads to some major misconceptions about the culprit (I don't want to mention what because of spoilers). Also, Chiru doesn't shift more towards fantasy and I'm not really sure where people got the idea it did. The game board solutions are still entirely mysteries, and the meta already existed in Episodes 1-4.
One interesting thing I saw Ryuukishi mention in an interview is that apparently his female reader-base had a much easier time understanding the solution. This doesn't really surprise me; male readers often pride themselves as being really ~rational~ and ended up confused because the motive isn't straight-forward and doesn't involve clear material gain. I think that many male readers were also very upset with a particular aspect of the solution which I won't mention because spoilers.
My net take-away after reading Umineko and reading fan reactions to it is that it's just too much for many anime fans to understand. People who spend a lot of time with "nerd fiction" (anime, video games, scifi/fantasy, etc) often end up having difficulties understanding stories that don't adhere to the tropes they're familiar with, and this lead to many people wrongly interpreting Episodes 1-4 of Umineko as a Phoenix Wright-ish story and being disappointed when it didn't go in that direction. (If this comes off as a little insulting, it's kinda intended to; I feel no hesitation towards saying that it's the reader's fault if they don't understand the solution after having it properly explained. Not understanding it after playing the game is actually completely understandable, and I don't fault anyone for that, but many people jumped to conclusions and decided they hated the answer without even really understanding it.)
ALL OF THIS BEING SAID, Episode 8 was pretty heavily flawed (the manga improved upon it greatly), but I don't get the impression that's what most people are complaining about when they discuss their dissatisfaction with Chiru and the solution.
I thought Umineko would had a better reception than this, lol. If I were to start this, at the very least, I guess I would stop at the first four episodes, and reconsider if I want to continue, lol. Certainly come as a surprise though, since everywhere I looked, everyone had been praising it as "one of the best VN", and anywhere else I look, they are discussing about "theories" (I just skip them though since I haven't read it and had no idea what they are talking about), but just nothing negative about the VN.
Really, kinda makes me wonder if I want to waste 50-100 hours on such a massive series.
Some people are absolutely fanatical about it and those are the people that love discussing theories, but as a visual novel experience it's just not that good on an individual basis. I had a lot of fun with the start of it though so I wouldn't try to put you off of it. Even just 50 hours is a lot to put into anything that might not be any good, unfortunately >.<
averyhue says:
The issue with Umineko is it has to be read from a fantasy and a mystery novel point of view. I personally loved trying to solve the riddle in amongst the magic, but I suppose it is a lot to invest in when the plotline is convoluted and the mystery aspect is stifled by all the fantasy scenes. I'm sad you didn't like the last 4 games since I personally thought they were amazing *u*.
Thanks for the comment! I always say that it's fantastic when people like things that I didn't. When it comes down to it I guess i'm a little bitter because I was really into the mystery and really into the characters of the first episodes…and the last four took that away from me. I would call that poor writing but if you enjoyed it anyway then that's awesome because you didn't have to feel the frustration that I did.
I'm a little jealous of everyone that really became invested in the mystery despite the fantasy. From what a friend of mine has told me it sounds like people had a lot of fun comparing theories and the like.
I read your review, and I want to say I understand your viewpoint, you were expecting the same mystery-fantasy and all in EP1-4 for Chiru, and that's the problem, I guess.
First part of Umineko was more mystery-like oriented, but the important part of Umineko, its message and philosophy, are in Chiru. Chiru isn't inferior at all, just very different. By the end of Alliance, the resolution of the mystery is possible, so the story begin to focus more in other aspects that are really important while still giving you hints about the mystery part of the story.
Ryukishi claimed himself he wanted us readers to reach the truth orselves, to think about it. When you see no clear answers for the mystery, you felt deceived or dissapinted, but have you tred to solve it in the first place? If the answer is 'no', that's the problem, if the answer is 'yes' maybe you disliked the answer when it's revealed, because it's clearly there without question.
Maybe the last Episode seemed totally dull and out of the blue, but it has a deep meaning (mini-games aside, that were just for the fun of it), and it gives a clousure to all the characters. Like mystery sucks, yep, but allow me to remember the mystery part of Umineko was ended in EP7.
Umineko is not a mystery, not only at least, it's much more than that. If you missed the fun of Chiru, it's a shame, because (and with its flaws) it was a good job, with a very human point of view and characters (and an interesting metaphorical sense).
PD: If you're interested in DIRECT answers, try to check he manga.
Hey there, thanks for the comment!
I'll agree that a lot of the enjoyment you can get out of Umineko stems from the expectations you have of it. Going into it hoping for a well-rounded, complete experience leaves you where I wound up: disappointed and annoyed. I wanted a continuation and resolution of both the story and character relationships of the first four episodes, when the final four episodes are another beast entirely. From what fans of the series have told me, however, what I was after was not what Ryukishi07 was aiming for. I can accept that, though i'm still not particularly happy about it XD I've said it a few times in various places, but for me overall entertainment comes first and then themes/messages form the icing on the cake to take a story that much further.
I did try to follow the puzzles and make my own theories, and even enjoyed that part while each puzzle was still being covered by Battler and Beatrice's conversations. I kept going even after that, since I figured it would all be covered later on. I think that at that point, if the novel had said "alright, let's take a look at how all that mystery resolved and then move onto the second part of the story, the fantasy", I would have been okay and maybe even enjoyed it. But as the story dropped the characters I was interested in, introduced new characters I wasn't as interested in, and it became clearer and clearer that things weren't really going to resolve, I started to lose interest and that made enjoying the conclusion lot harder. The messages that may have been there weren't enough to make up for the deficits of the story itself.
But, of course, that's just opinion and it's fine for opinions to differ. Heck, you had a better experience with Umineko that I did and that makes me kind of jealous. As for the manga, i'm aware that it's available to look at and i'll get around to it at some point, but I feel that those answers really should have been integrated into the original production.
littleshogun says:
Hmmmmm…………………we meet again I'm suppose
Well like all of the VN I think it is of course very subjective you like it or not. But maybe you don't have enough love to love Chiru though.(Just kidding)
Okay serious stuff. Apparently the direction of this VN is very different from what our 'dear' trolling creator expected. First it is in regard of the third episode Banquet which Ryukishi had the difficulty nerfed because complain from all of the reader that the mystery is too hard to solve (And if you finish the game and reading manga you can probably seeing Beatrice facepalm in the end of EP 2 regarding Battler surrender to her. Not literary of course). Originally EP3 would be launched as land and the difficulty is apparently will be MUCH harder than first 2 Episode. Second it is according to many source his best friend who in charge of advice of how the game would be running is apparently dead by EP 6 is in writing and maybe by the time of EP 8 he is not fully recovered yet so it is kinda messed up to many fans. By the time EP8 Manga was written maybe he already recovered from his friend death and so he add the answer that he supposed to be in VN. You may believe it or not though.
It's okay if you don't want to read manga, but the manga may make your eyes open (I was talked about EP8 of course since EP1-7 manga probably the same as Visual novel) in regard of the answer of the mystery and probably make you agree a little to certain blue haired cruel troll. About the music it is as impressive as it can get, having around HUNDREDS of tracks compared to many VN which around 30-40 tracks. By the way do you had interest to add some of Umineko music to VN Music of the Week? If I may suggest best one would be Goldenslaughterer which is theme when all corpse were found and from EP 1.
That's all from me
I had heard before that Umineko underwent a pretty massive change somewhere around that third episode, with readers reacting negatively to Ryukishi07's initial script. Apparently there's a lot of setup and foreshadowing from the first episodes that goes unused because of that. I've also heard that the manga is worth reading and I may just do that; if it wraps everything up properly it could be the conclusion to the VN that I was looking for. As for difficulty and its appropriateness in this kind of production…I guess it has to balance out with good overall storytelling. These things can be as difficult as you want to make them as long as the way in which they are delivered is satisfying, which was a department I found Umineko lacking in.
I may consider doing a BGM spotlight for certain visual novels that I feel deserve it (and Umineko would definitely be one of them) with three or four of my favorite tracks, in place of my normal weekly Music Spotlight. Thanks for the suggestion!
Rika says:
Huh, this was an interesting read, and I'm impressed that you're still responding to comments on it so long after it was published. I'm a little confused by the idea that the mystery disappears in the second half, though? I mean, EP5 is the first episode to start really explicitly tearing apart some of the fantasy narrative (by revealing the truth about Kinzo's death and the like). EP7 provides a ton of answers for things like the truth behind the legend of the witch, Kinzo's backstory, and such – and the second half of it goes into huge detail on the culprit's upbringing and their ways of looking at the world and processing the things that happened to them (the most fascinating thing about the series to me, actually). This is all hugely important information on mysteries that have been present from the start of the series; I don't see how you could say it was a departure into something completely unrelated. I'd say that EP7 basically contains everything you should need to make sense of the series in retrospect; the answers aren't spoonfed to you, but they're heavily implied and you should be able to grasp at least the main core of the truth by the time you're done with the episode. The manga's explicit answers were really basically unnecessary and detract from the subtle presentation of the original for me; it was all there already, really, and the delicate way the culprit's heart was handled in the original touched me and stayed with me much more than the blunt, relentless hammering of the point that the manga employs.
I respect that you might be frustrated with the way the series went, and I'll admit Chiru was a drastic change in tone that may not have been welcome; personally, I love EP5 and EP7 to death but EP6 and EP8 are both pretty sloppily handled to me. But I don't understand how you could think that it totally abandoned the story and the characters that were emphasised in the first half. Battler, Beatrice, and Ange's character arcs all got basically perfect closure through Chiru in the end, and all the main issues around the peripheral characters like Maria, Kinzo, Natsuhi and the rest were explored more than satisfactorily to me. There can be no true resolution for them because they died in 1986 (or before in Kinzo's case), but Ange can understand their stories, learn from them and move on. EP8 is a bumpy ride in many respects, but the note it ended on was a perfect conclusion as far as I was concerned.
Thanks for the comment =) I try to reply to everyone who takes the time to leave one as a matter of good practice. As you say, however, it's been a while since I played Umineko, which means my recollection of its events isn't the best.
I am forced to admit that some of my issues with the story stem from the expectations I had based on the earlier episodes, and that some others are born from my attempt to treat Umineko as a normal, linear story. When I talk about the second half, I make a huge generalization because it's easier to write a review without pointing to specific episodes (I feel like that's okay to do here, because this is aimed at people who haven't read the visual novel). The second half -does- have important revelations that contribute to the story positively (except for episode 8, which is what I write in the review), but the number of mysteries that are left behind – the howdunnit, if you will – that could have been explored for the audience's gratification or illumination, was horrendously large. While it was probably Ryukishi07's intention all along to leave people wondering if they really have the right idea of what happened, which he accomplished, I personally don't think that makes for good storytelling. It's a subjective view, admittedly, though I would argue that that's what reviews are all about.
The other issue I had with the latter episodes was the character switching. This is partially stubbornness on my part but I think many people would agree that dramatically changing main characters part-way through a story damages the reader's ability to feel a connection to them. Furude Erica and the other witches couldn't live up to Beatrice's performance, and the guy from EP7 (at least I think it was that episode) was not a suitable stand-in for Battler (heck, I don't even remember his name). By the time the last episode came along, I had more or less stopped caring and was reading by inertia alone.
So some of my evaluation is a result of my personal preferences and expectations, which i'm happy to admit. At the same time I would argue that Ryukishi07 made some terrible decisions on how to move forward with the story. Just about everyone agrees that Chiru felt different; while many people were able to move on with that and enjoy themselves, it simply didn't work for me, which was disappointing considering how much I enjoyed Umineko's first half.
I hope that's a decent response to what you've written (i'm bashing this out quickly before rushing off). Just let me know if you think i've missed out on addressing anything, and thanks again for commenting!
Thank you for responding! Of course you are entitled to your opinion, but I do feel obligated to at least defend Ryukishi on some things. I didn't personally feel like there was a major shift in terms of suddenly dumping old characters for newer ones in the second half, or at least not any more than there was in the first half – I don't think Will being suddenly introduced as the main viewpoint for half of EP7 was really fundamentally different to Ange being suddenly introduced as the main viewpoint for half of EP4, for example. Granted, I'm biased in this respect since I consider Will to be a really interesting character and found him to be a perfect fit for his role in the story without ever feeling like he was taking the spotlight for himself, but naturally you can't help it if he didn't work for you. Still, I would argue that the new characters were mainly introduced to further the existing characters' development in ways that were generally successful for me. Erika's attitude toward mysteries, for example, is a large part of what really gave Battler the wake-up call he needed to seriously re-evaluate his perspective and figure out what he really needed to be fighting against; she isn't a replacement for Beatrice, she has a fundamentally different antagonistic role as someone whose perspective Battler is genuinely horrified and repelled by (even though he does feel sympathy for her in the end), whereas Beatrice was someone who he actually fell in love with very quickly for all he tried to deny it to himself. And Will and Lion are both hugely important to Beatrice, and say so much about her and the things that she wished for (the person she wished to understand her, and the person she wished she had been). I never felt that the new characters did anything but deepen my understanding and appreciation of the existing cast.
As for the 'how dunnit', I'd argue that enough information was given in EP7 that you could probably deduce the basic idea of what happened in most cases with a little thought. I can understand wanting a more detailed breakdown of exactly what happened with each murder, but for me that would have detracted from Beatrice's emotional arc and the tone of EP7 in general. Like Will says when Bern asks if he's going to put Beatrice to rest with a big flashy fight of red and blue – "that's not what they want any more". What matters, I think, from a storytelling perspective, was that Will had fully understood her, and put her heart at rest; the details of the murders are hinted at adequately, for the die-hard fans to analyse to their heart's content, but they weren't the focus of the story and I don't believe they should have been. You are free to disagree, but it's unfair to say it wasn't even touched on, I think. It just wasn't what ultimately mattered about Umineko – the 'why dunnit' was. If you weren't interested in that, then it's understandable that the second half of the series didn't work for you. But I feel that the series was consistent from beginning to end in its focus on the questions of "Who is Beatrice?" and "What is magic and why do people need it?" It's not so much that the series wasn't really a mystery, it's just that it was maybe not the particular kind of mystery that people were expecting.
You don't have to feel obligated to respond to this or anything – ultimately, you couldn't enjoy the second half, and of course anything I say isn't going to change that, so you're certainly not obligated to justify your perspective any more than you have – but I just wanted to offer a different opinion on Umineko's integrity as a story, at least.
Of everything that others have said to me about Umineko, I would say that your well-developed thoughts have contributed the most towards making me consider playing it again (when that will happen…we'll see =P). I find it difficult to respond to them because of the year or so it's been since my first playthrough, but i'll say what I can (because I enjoy the discussion rather than because this is the internet and how dare you not share my opinion XD).
I actually thought Ange's inclusion was somewhat jarring as well, though it was the later episodes that stood out at me more because I felt like the characters that were more important to me had been replaced rather than simply set to the side temporarily. I don't think that Will or his companion were bad characters per se, just that they weren't what I wanted from Umineko; they were only one of the factors that made me feel that the storyline (or perhaps the storytelling) had gone off the rails. I'd get annoyed at any plot that replaced the main character 3/4 of the way through. I'll fold and admit that Erica's inclusion did have some positive effects on the experience. The contrast to Beatrice's way of doing things was a good one that contributed significantly to Battler's development. The other witches didn't contribute much, in my opinion.
The next two points are ones that are difficult for me. Some of that is because I turned off a little in episode 7 and 8, meaning that it's not impossible that I was too annoyed to experience the story properly. The rest of that is, of course, because it's hard to say that I couldn't be bothered taking the time to sit back and really think about the mysteries. I've said before that, for me at least, the level to which I enjoy any story comes before whatever messages or themes that story tries to convey. Consequently, if I don't have fun reading I lose a whole layer of further potential enjoyment, which in turn means that the vast majority of commentary I make focuses on features that I think were detrimental to enjoyment rather than in-depth literary quality. I hope you can understand what i'm trying to say with this, because I've come up with it on the fly =P
Anyway, that's all the result of some reflection i've tried to do on why my thought processes regarding Umineko take such a different direction to the people that loved it to bits. In the end, I still feel that many of the features others consider justified by their themes and deeper contribution to the narrative are, on the surface, detrimental to the quality of the base experience. I think that an explicit coverage of the howdunnit and a story that remained consistent with its characters (that is, one that temporarily set its characters aside rather than effectively replacing them – perhaps this has something to do with how long a story spends being told from the perspective of different characters) would have allowed for even better exploration of those central themes and ideas/goals that would have allowed them to reach a wider audience. There are other features that would be important for that, but those are the ones we've discussed in the comments.
Of course, either way of evaluating Umineko or other stories is valid; I just happen to have been unfortunate and ended up with the mindset that precluded my enjoyment >.<
gugmt15 says:
You are completely right, that is the whole point of Umineko, you got the heart of it, no need to add anything more. Thanks for defending its honor :')
I mostly agree with your post, though there is one element to the culprit's motive that I felt the game was a bit too vague about (if you've read the manga, basically some of the stuff mentions in Confession of the Golden Witch). There are plenty of hints in the game (particularly in Episode 2), but it's difficult to really pin anything down, much less to fully understanding what's going on. Without knowledge of this motive, you're just left with the stuff you learn in Episode 7, which – by itself – is an insufficient motive for their (planned) crimes. As you mentioned, solving the howdunnit isn't too hard with just the game itself, but there are many elements to the whydunnit and some could have been better elaborated upon within the game itself.
Ultimately what I defend about Umineko is its core story/characters/solution (which I consider to undeniably be the best in any anime/VN/video game), but there are definitely some elements to the execution that are questionable and I feel like some things should have been made a little clearer. I think it's good that he made things explicit in the manga, just so people can at least understand the full truth and then "unlock" a lot of the hints that exist throughout the game.
NukeTheDestroyer says:
Let's just leave this here.
EP7 > EP6 > EP4 > EP3 > EP5 > EP2 > EP1 > EP8
Urk, here's where I realize I can't remember what happened in each individual episode…but I don't think I totally disagree with this. While EP8 was definitely the worst in my opinion as well I would say I enjoyed myself the most from EP 2-4. As far as I can remember my 1-4/5-8 split was mostly arbitrary because 5 and 6 weren't necessarily bad though 7 definitely wasn't high on my list.
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iknowitseemsunlikelybutitstrue says:
So I just found this, I'm partway through a re read of the story now, and I can definitely say that if you go into the story knowing the whodunnit, the howdunnit reveals itself very quickly.
If you want, check out the goldsmith on YouTube, he does edits of the manga with music from umineko, specifically look at the funeral of the witch (this explicitly outlines how each twilight was carried out in Ep 1-4) and a section known as confession of the golden witch (a manga only chapter in Ep 8) which explicitly shows who the culprit is, and why they are the way they are, and how they became recognised as a witch by lambdadelta and outlines everything leading up to the day battler arrived on the island
I've just recently decided that I'll be replaying the first 4 episodes of Umineko at some point because of how much I adore the interactions between Beatrice and Battler. When I do so I'll probably look up Goldsmith's stuff so that I can finally have an opinion of the manga and how it relates to the VN.
May even rope a few friends into reading at the same time so we can discuss as we go.
With those two plans in place I might have a better opinion of Umineko in the future, though i'm not sure the second half could ever been redeemed for me.
I highly recommend playing close attention to Battler/Beato's interactions on your second playthrough, because it's very easy to misunderstand what's going on your first time through (primarily in terms of understanding Beato's perspective and motivations). You also realize that Beato really wasn't kidding with her "You are incompetent!" red text, haha.
By the way, sorry for a reply I made to another comment being kind of mean. I would have edited it but couldn't figure out how. I stand by my negative feelings towards people who dismiss/reject the solution after understanding it, but I think it's reasonable for someone to play through the game and not understand things without having it explained to them first. A big point of the game is the idea of having trust in the author, and many people jumped to conclusions about what they perceived to be flaws (like the whole "becoming too much of a fantasy" complaint) without really understanding things to begin with.
No worries about your comments potentially seeming mean. It's easy to misinterpret tone when communicating via text, so I try to focus on content most of the time.
I'm definitely going to give Umineko another shot, probably at the same time as a friend so we can have the discussions a lot of the original fans say they really enjoyed. I also plan to read through the manga as I go.
I'll even play the second half again and try to be open to what it's trying to do, though I don't think it's quite fair to say disliking the second half for its change in focus is related to jumping to conclusions (I realise you said in an earlier comment that you don't agree with there being more fantasy content, and i'll re-evaluate that on my second read-through as well). It may well be that the second half furthers an agenda I didn't pick up on in the first half, though it may also simply be that I don't enjoy the second half as much, regardless of what the author intended to accomplish with it.
Perhaps I should write a series of posts to accompany my playthrough…


The Hush Post: Cricketing legend and former Rajya Sabha Member of Parliament, Sachin Tendulkar donated his salary and other earnings as an MP to the Prime Minister's National Relief Fund.
Mr. Tendulkar, whose term as a Rajya Sabha MP ended recently, donated a sum of nearly 90 lakhs to the fund. An MP since 2012, Mr. Tendulkar attended just 7.3 per cent sessions of the Upper House of the Parliament. This amounts to just 29 of the nearly 400 sessions that took place. While he introduced 0 bills, he asked 22 questions in his tenure.
The cricket tycoon has also made good use of the MP Local Area Development Fund. As per data from his office, Mr. Tendulkar has sanctioned 185 projects across the country, and has used 7.4 crore rupees out of the 30 crores allocated to him, on educational and related structural development, which includes building and renovating classrooms. He has also adopted two villages under the Sansad Adarsh Gram Yojana Scheme. The two villages adopted by him are Puttam Raju Kandriga in Andhra Pradesh and Donja in Maharashtra.


Description: My Teacher My Obsession 2018 English 300MB WEBDL 480p Riley (Laura Bilgeri) is struggling to make friends after transferring to a new high school where her father, Chris (Rusty Joiner), is an English teacher. When she meets Kyla (Lucy Loken), a self-described loner, Kyla quickly becomes a close friend and listens to Riley talk through her problems. However, the friendship takes a strange turn when Riley learns that Kyla is obsessed with her dad. When another student strives for Chris's attention, Kyla sets up a devious trap to claim him all to herself. Will Kyla successfully seduce Chris and start a twisted new life with him by removing everyone in her path, or will Riley be able to save her father from Kyla's treacherous plot before it's too late?


We have many systems in our restaurant that support us in running our business efficiently. At times you will be responsible for reading and interpreting information. As a Back of House TM, you will be required to read our cooking systems which tell us the amount of product we should prepare to meet our customers demands.


Welcome to the BMW of Manhattan Executive Demo collection. Here we feature a few choice vehicles that were either dealer demonstrators or previously part of BMW of North America's extensive and exclusive marketing fleet. These well-equipped vehicles feature a stellar value within the BMW of Manhattan sales fleet. Much like our 212 Platinum Collection, these unique vehicles are highy-accessible examples of our discerning taste when it comes to building unique variations of the Ultimate Driving Machine. All of these vehicles are available from immediate delivery.
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L. Cranor, and P. Resnick.
Economic theory has investigated the optimal behavior of rational agents in auction and bargaining situations. We apply the theory to the design of automated negotiation protocols. In particular, in what situations are restricted protocols suffcient to achieve all the same outcomes that a more complete, flexible protocol could achieve?
%0 Journal Article %1 Cranor00 %A Cranor, Lorrie Faith %A Resnick, Paul %D 2000 %J Netnomics %K game negotiation, design, mechanism commerce, trust security, commitment, electronic theory, %P 1--23 %T Protocols for Automated Negotiations with Buyer Anonymity and Seller Reputations %V 2 %X Economic theory has investigated the optimal behavior of rational agents in auction and bargaining situations. We apply the theory to the design of automated negotiation protocols. In particular, in what situations are restricted protocols suffcient to achieve all the same outcomes that a more complete, flexible protocol could achieve?


text:
Airmic ›
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The business and risk challenges of digital transformation
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Contact Airmic
About Airmic
Airmic is a members' association supporting those responsible for risk management and insurance within their own companies. We have nearly 1200 individual members who represent over 450 companies.
Risk professionals are witnessing first-hand the business and risk challenges of digital transformation
Risk professionals have typically been people with technical excellence. The 2018 Airmic member survey reports that risk professionals recognise they also need to skill-up to meet the risk challenges of the Digital Age.
Legacy risk and governance models used to be concerned with events, now they are concerned with connected "ecosystems".
The continued increase in the balance of intangible assets is driving the risk profile of organisations with more than 80% of the principal risks reported by members as intangible.
Key issues reported include:
Cyber risk appears set to take over the top of mind risk spot and risk professionals continue to feel ill-prepared
Many risk managers believe that their ability to respond to cyber-risk is falling short. Just 33% are confident that the main cyber-risks have been identified and quantified. Only 22% strongly agree that the board has sufficient knowledge and understanding of cyber-risks. When it comes to third-party cyber-risks, the picture is darker still, with only 15% strongly agreeing that these are being managed in their organisations.
Asked where they would like to see insurers develop services in response to data breaches, respondents showed an overwhelming preference for support with responding to the data loss, with 58% preferring this option. The focus is also on securing data breaches in the case of interruptions to business, with 48% calling on insurers to do more in this area.
Transferring risk through insurance is favoured for a number of risks whose origins sit outside the direct control of the company, and which are therefore harder to mitigate directly. Natural catastrophe and terrorist attack belong in this category. Cyber-events, both those causing business interruption and loss of data are also singled out for transfer.
The threat of competitors using new technology and business models to gain market share is another rapidly emerging concern, chosen by 21% - with 30% expecting it to feature in three years' time.
The level of trust in broker models and practices is still disappointing but has improved over the last three years. In 2015 7% of members strongly agreed that they had trust in the transparency of their broker's business model - this is now reported at 21%. Trust in broker placement advice, particularly when recommending their own services, is at a positive 71% of those strongly and slightly agreeing.
Risk managers show the most trust in brokers' confidentiality, where only 8% express a strong lack of trust. Even here, just 40% strongly agreed that they trusted brokers to maintain confidentiality. This is low given the centrality of this issue in assuring strong business relations.
Airmic technical director and Deputy CEO Julia Graham said the findings underlined the message that insurers and their buyers need to adapt to the fast-changing business environment. "Intangible risks dominate the concerns of our members and are much less well accommodated by the insurance industry than tangible risks. This is something that underwriters and insureds need to develop further as a matter of urgency," she said.
The survey asked questions relating to the diversity agenda which is reported for the first time in an Airmic survey. Early days, but a subject on which Airmic will research and report on further over the coming months.
The survey was carried out in partnership with Longitude, part of the Financial Times Group. It took place in April, with responses received from 137 Airmic members. There are signs of improvement in innovation in the insurance industry, but there is an onus on the risk professional to talk the language of innovation to convert these opportunities The level of trust in broker models and practices is still disappointing, but has improved over the last 3 years Collaboration across and beyond the business is key to effective risk management Risk professionals place too much trust in legacy systems for managing digital transformation Respondents fear loss of market share to competitors deploying new technology
Airmic risk manager survey reveals risk profession is moving centre stage
Lessons learned from the Notre Dame fire
Government starts review of Ogden Rate
How a cyber attacker was outwitted by an innovative social media strategy
IUA CEO says 'The London Market is well-prepared for a no deal scenario'
Marsh's Eleni Petros discusses how to combat social engineering fraud
What a Brexit "no-deal" will mean for the risk management profession
GDPR audits to increase in 2019 - are you ready?
FM Global's Owen Lewis asks 'Is your business ready for a big freeze this winter?'
Airmic CEO calls for closer collaboration to shape future of insurance


text:
Denisa Kosová (* 1991 Rychnov nad Kněžnou) je česká reprezentantka v orientačním běhu. Mezi její největší úspěchy patří zlatá medaile ze štafet na dorosteneckém mistrovství Evropy 2009 v srbském Kopaoniku a stříbrná medaile z juniorského mistrovství světa 2010 v dánském Aalborgu. V současnosti běhá za český klub OK 99 Hradec Králové a za švédský IFK Mora, dříve reprezentovala oddíl SOOB Spartak Rychnov nad Kněžnou.

Na své první seniorské mistrovství světa se nominovala v roce 2015.. Od té doby pravidelně reprezentuje na mezinárodních závodech.

Sportovní kariéra

Umístění na MS a ME

Umístění na MČR

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Související články
 Česká reprezentace v orientačním běhu

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 Výsledky Denisy Kosové v systému ORIS
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České orientační běžkyně
Akademické mistryně světa v orientačním běhu
Juniorské mistryně Evropy v orientačním běhu
Mistryně České republiky v orientačním běhu
Sportovci z Hradce Králové
Narození 18. července
Narození v roce 1991
Narození v Rychnově nad Kněžnou
Žijící lidé
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In life we grow as we are challenged. We learn through struggle. The true challenge is to remain aligned to our true essence and purpose as we navigate the paths life has presented us. This mala embodies the essence of strength, stay clear and focused to the higher good, standing steadfast with faith and belief amongst turmoil. Communicating from love, letting your voice come from the heart, freeing the mind to pursue its dreams.