References in When They Cry

The When They Cry franchise contains several cultural and historical references as a result of author Ryukishi07's habit of putting references in his work just to have them. A partial list of these references is below.

Divine Comedy
Umineko no Naku Koro ni contains many references of Dante Alighieri's Divine Comedy.
 * Beatrice is likely based off of Beatrice Portinari.
 * Umineko's Beatrice is frequently called "Bice", as is Beatrice Portinari.
 * Both the original incarnation of Beatrice, Kinzo Ushiromiya's lover Beatrice Castiglioni, and Beatrice Portinari are Italian.
 * Beatrice Portinari is referred to as Dante's "ideal woman", similar to how Umineko's Beatrice is referred to as Battler's "ideal woman".
 * "Beatrice" is pronounced in the Italian fashion as "Be-a-tri-ce" (Be-a-to-ri-che [ベアトリーチェ] in Japanese phonetics) rather than the English way, as "Be-a-triss".
 * Clair Vaux Bernardus is likely based off of Saint Bernard of Clairvaux.
 * Virgilia is likely based off of Virgil.
 * The Seven Stakes of Purgatory are likely based off of the Seven Deadly Sins as they appear in Purgatorio.

Detective fiction

 * Dlanor A. Knox is directly related to detective fiction author Ronald A. Knox.
 * "Dlanor" is "Ronald" spelled backwards.
 * One of Dlanor's weapons, Knox's Decalogue, is taken from Ronald Knox's The Ten Commandments of Detective Fiction.
 * Willard H. Wright is likely based off of Willard Huntington Wright.
 * One of Willard's weapons, Van Dine's Commandments, is taken from Willard Huntington Wright's Twenty Rules for Writing Detective Stories.
 * Lion Ushiromiya and Willard call each other "Watson" and "Holmes", direct references to the famous Sherlock Holmes franchise.
 * In, both Soji Shimada's The Tokyo Zodiac Murders and Ango Sakaguchi's Furenzoku satsujin jiken are directly referenced.
 * In, the authors Yukito Ayatsuji and Ellery Queen are directly referenced.
 * In, Willard H. Wright references the solution to the Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of Silver Blaze."
 * Much of draws inspiration from Agatha Christie's And Then There Were None.
 * The setting of an island cut off from the rest of the world due to a storm occurs in both Umineko no Naku Koro ni and And Then There Were None.
 * Both Umineko no Naku Koro ni and And Then There Were None feature a prophetic passage that ensuing murders line up with (the witch's epitaph in Umineko no Naku Koro ni and Ten Little Indians in And Then There Were None).
 * The way that the "truth" of Umineko no Naku Koro ni is revealed through message bottles mirrors how the truth of And Then There Were None is revealed in the epilogue.
 * In, Ten Little Indians is directly referenced.
 * In, Gaap refers to herself as "U.N. Owen, a 495-year-old witch", a reference to U.N. Owen, an alias for the main antagonist of And Then There Were None.
 * Battler Ushiromiya's name may be a reference to Superintendent Battle, a recurring character created by Agatha Christie.
 * The popularity of mahjong in is possibly a reference to the use of mahjong in Agatha Christie's The Murder of Roger Ackroyd.
 * St. Lucia Academy may be named in reference to Saint Lucia, an island visited by Agatha Christie while on holiday.
 * Sayo Yasuda's nickname "Yasu" is likely a reference to Yasuhiko "Yasu" Mano from the the 1983 game The Portopia Serial Murder Case.

Demonology

 * The 72 Pillars of Hell mentioned in Umineko no Naku Koro ni is likely a reference to the 72 demons in the Lesser Key of Solomon. Several demons within Umineko no Naku Koro ni are based off of these 72 demons.
 * Ronove is based off of Marquis Ronove, the 27th demon.
 * Furfur and Zepar are based off of Furfur, the 34th demon, and Zepar, the 16th demon, respectively.
 * Gaap is based off of the 33rd demon of the Lesser Key of Solomon, Gaap.
 * Flauros is based off of the demon Flauros.
 * Much of the demonology Maria Ushiromiya mentions is taken from the Key of Solomon, a 14th/15th century grimoire and early example of Renaissance magic.
 * Maria's amulets, meant to protect her from the evil entities on the island, have the fifth pentacle of Mars inscribed on them.
 * The symbol found on the shed in {{legend}} is the seventh pentacle of the Sun.
 * The symbol found on Eva Ushiromiya and Hideyoshi Ushiromiya's room is the pentacle of the Moon.
 * The name Bernkastel may be a reference to the birthplace of Peter Binsfield, a German theologian who was the first to associate the seven princes of hell with the Seven Deadly Sins. Binsfield was born in the town of Binsfield which is located in the Bernkastel-Wittlich district of Germany.
 * Peter Binsfeld's classification of demons mirrors the Seven Stakes of Purgatory. Each of the Stakes are named after a prince of hell and are the embodiment of the associated Deadly Sin.

Touhou Project

 * Jessica Ushiromiya cosplays as Marisa Kirisame while playing in her band.
 * In Jessica and Kanon's ending in, Kanon cosplays as Reimu Hakurei.
 * In, Gaap refers to herself as "U.N. Owen, a 495-year-old witch", a reference to Flandre Scarlet and her popular theme "U.N. Owen Was Her?".

Historical

 * includes references to the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere, Three Non-Nuclear Principles, the Treaty of Portsmouth, the Battle of Kursk, and the Marco Polo Bridge Incident.
 * During Kinzo Ushiromiya's retelling of his youth in, he references several historical elements, including the Great Kanto Earthquake, the Battle of Saipan, the Battle of Guam, and Kaiten torpedoes
 * In, Rudolf Ushiromiya references the Battle of the Alamo.

Other

 * Battler Ushiromiya is partially based off of Phoenix Wright from the Ace Attorney franchise, most clearly seen in one of Battler's sprites wherein he mimics the "Objection!" pose from Ace Attorney.
 * Rena Ryuuguu is particularly obsessed with a doll resembling Colonel Sanders, the founder and mascot of Kentucky Fried Chicken.
 * In, Shion Sonozaki often yells "Ora, ora, ora" when attacking. This is a reference to Jotaro Kujo from Jojo's Bizarre Adventure.
 * Jessica Ushiromiya makes the same reference when attacking in.
 * Ange Ushiromiya's false name "Gretel" is likely a reference to the fairy tale "Hansel and Gretel", which Battler jokingly mentions.
 * The names of the women in Rudolf Ushiromiya's immediate family (Kyrie, Asumu, and Ange) are references to the Priest skills in the MMORPG Ragnarok Online (Kyrie Eleison, Assumptio, and Angelus respectively).
 * Sakutarou was originally to be named "Sakura" after the protagonist of Card Captor Sakura, however Maria changed it to sound more masculine.
 * This is actually an anachronism as Card Captor Sakura debuted in 1996, ten years after Umineko no Naku Koro ni takes place.
 * Rumiko Chie is a parody of Ciel from Tsukihime.
 * In, she is shown wielding six T-squares in the same fashion that Ciel wields her "Black Keys" swords.
 * Hameln is likely a reference to the Pied Piper of Hamelin.
 * Renoir is likely named after Pierre-Auguste Renoir.
 * Scarletite from the Final Fantasy franchise is mentioned in "My Best Friend."
 * In, Gaap refers to Pandæmonium, a location in John Milton's Paradise Lost.
 * In, Maricarmen refers to Keropoyo as the second frog to call himself a knight, referencing Frog/Kaeru from Chrono Trigger.
 * Liru Yumezuka from refers to herself as the "Ultimate High School Manga Artist," a reference to the naming schemes of the "Ultimates" from Danganronpa.
 * When Beatrice and Virgilia battle in, they summon a litany of mythical weapons including Gungnir, Mjolnir, and the horse rider Death.
 * Beatrice's War Towers are said to be "100 merute" tall. This unit of measurement is a reference to the "merute" of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, which is said to be equal to roughly one meter.
 * In, Maria Ushiromiya references "The Blue Bird".
 * Beatrice makes a similar reference in, referring to Ange Ushiromiya as "Mytyl."
 * In, Gaap claims to have gotten her outfit from "Devilish Pretty," a reference to the Japanese fashion brand Angelic Pretty.
 * In, Rosa has plans to take Maria to the recently-constructed "Delzney Land".
 * In, Gaap mentions stealing Beatrice's Illusionary Silver Crystal and Moon Stick, references to items of the same name from Sailor Moon.
 * In, Beatrice directly references the Records of the Three Kingdoms.
 * In, Rudolf references Ina Bauer.
 * In, Gaap references the chess matches between Deep Blue and Garry Kasparov.
 * In the Tea Party of End of the Golden Witch, Bernkastel and Lambdadelta reference Galaxy Express 999, Night on the Galactic Railroad, The Third Man, and Children of Paradise.
 * In, Eva-Beatrice and George Ushiromiya reference Journey to the West, "I Stepped on the Cat", the Five Mountain System, and Francis Bacon.
 * In, Kyrie Ushiromiya references the Plank of Carneades thought experiment.
 * In, Erika Furudo quotes the ''Book of Common Prayer.
 * In, Maria Ushiromiya quotes the Book of Matthew.
 * In, Juuza Amakusa claims to be a fan of M.Zakky, who is one of the real-life composers of Umineko no Naku Koro ni's soundtrack.
 * In, George Ushiromiya's puzzle is a variation of the Monty hall problem.
 * In, failing Maria Ushiromiya's puzzle results in her claiming the question is only "20 Picarats", a reference to the Professor Layton series of puzzle games.
 * In the Tea Party of, Bernkastel references Children of Paradise and Ghost in the Shell.
 * In the ???? of, one of Yukari Kotobuki's fans references Harry Potter.
 * The opening video to contains visual references to "Tank!," the opening for the anime Cowboy Bebop.

Intertextual references
Ryukishi07 is also known to include references and crossovers within his own works.

Similar characters

 * Several characters appear to be based on Rika Furude from :
 * Frederica Bernkastel, a minor character from known as the author of the poems that each arc opens with. She has been explicitly confirmed as a being that was born from Rika's hopelessness.
 * Bernkastel, a character from who was once Rika Furude. She references this in, wherein she recalls her old catchphrase, "Nipah~."
 * Erika Furudo, a character from that Bernkastel created in her own likeness. She bears a similar name and appearance to Rika. The name "Furudo Erika" is phonetically similar to the name "Frederica".
 * Stella Maiougi, a character from bearing a similar appearance to Rika.
 * Serika Furuwada, a character from . The name "Serika Furuwada" is phonetically similar to "Rika Furude."
 * Fuhka Takatori, a minor character from 's School Love Adventure arc.
 * Mikubi Matsurika, a character from.
 * Several characters appear to be based on either Miyo Takano or Satoko Houjou:
 * Lambdadelta, who was popularly speculated to be Miyo Takano due to their similar appearance. Furthermore, Lambdadelta refers to Miyo Takano as "her other self" in the Hotarubi no Tomoru Koro ni prologue, The First and the Last Gift. However, Ryukishi07 has directly refuted this theory and refers to it as a red herring. Fans have also speculated that Lambdadelta is related to Satoko Houjou, the best friend of Bernkastel's previous self, Rika Furude. Though this has not been confirmed, Satoko's abilities and actions shown in have further cemented this speculation.
 * Vier Dreissig, a character from who bears a similar appearance to Miyo Takano.
 * Miyoko Tanashi, a character from who shares Miyo Takano's real name.
 * Meryl Tanashi, a character from whose real name is "Miyoko Tanashi."
 * Miyoko Takano, a character from who shares Miyo Takano's name and appearance. Furthermore, Miyoko has a similar family history to Miyo Takano.
 * Featherine Augustus Aurora/Eua from bears some resemblance to Hanyuu from.
 * The character Okonogi is present in both Higurashi no Naku Koro ni, as the leader of the Yamainu, and in Umineko no Naku Koro ni, as president of a company with ties to Rudolf Ushiromiya and Hideyoshi Ushiromiya.
 * A similarly named character appears in.
 * Morris Monobe from bears a similar appearance to Okonogi.
 * Philip U. Butler from bears a similar name and appearance to Battler Ushiromiya from . Furthermore, both characters have younger sisters named "Ange."
 * Sakunoshin from strongly resembles Sakutarou from.
 * The character Kyounosuke Ieiri from has a similar name and appearance to Kyousuke Irie.
 * Miho Kuonji from 's School Love Adventure arc bears some resemblance to Shannon from.
 * Karen Saijyouji from 's School Love Adventure arc bears some resemblance to Beatrice from.
 * The character Zepafur's name is an amalgamation of Zepar and Furfur.
 * Yuanhong Wang from bears some resemblance to Witch Hunter Mikami from . Ryukishi07 has elaborated that the character of Mikami was created because of how much Ryukishi07 enjoyed Takuya Tsukamoto's performance of Yuanhong Wang in the stage play adaptation of Rose Guns Days.

Miscellaneous

 * The phrase "That is my only wish" in relation to solving a mystery is used frequently throughout the franchise, by Keiichi Maebara, Ooishi Kuraudo, Mamoru Akasaka, Rena Ryuuguu, and Maria Ushiromiya.
 * The number "34" is a recurring motif in several of Ryukishi07's works:
 * The Greek letters of Lambdadelta's name mean 30 (λ) and 4 (Δ).
 * Miyo Takano name can be written as 三四, meaning "34".
 * Vier Dreissig's name can be translated from German as "four thirty", which becomes "thirty four" when following Japanese naming conventions.
 * In, Satoko is hospitalized in room 3-4.
 * In the disclaimers for the second demo of, the game refers to "Vatican Document #34", a likely reference to File No.34 from.
 * In the pachinko sprite set for George Ushiromiya, he is seen wearing a t-shirt with the word "Tomitake" in his casual outfit.
 * Chiester 410 references a Level 5 outbreak in the summary for the sixteenth chapter of.
 * Lambdadelta refers to the potential existence of "Rokkenjima Syndrome" in, a reference to Hinamizawa Syndrome from.
 * In the same conversation, Lambdadelta refers to a "mysterious secret organization" called the Mountain Dogs.
 * Ange Ushiromiya, Shion Sonozaki, Rika Furude, and Satoko Houjou have attended St. Lucia Academy.
 * The Angel Mort uniform and the Seven Stakes of Purgatory outfit have similar designs.
 * The cast of both Higurashi and Umineko show up in Umineko no Naku Koro ni Episode X.
 * In several episodes of the anime, Maria watches scenes from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni on TV.
 * The play "Rokkenjima" in "The Princess' Lie" is a reference to.
 * Rena Ryuuguu is referenced in track seven of Haworthia.
 * was released on October 4, the same day as the Rokkenjima massacre in.
 * The International Battle Standard Festival takes place at Gifu Stadium. Hinamizawa is based on Shirakawa, a village in the Gifu Prefecture.
 * Okonogi and Vier Dreissig in resemble Tetsurou Okonogi and Miyo Takano.
 * The "The Okonogi Crappy Collage Grand Prix" Data Fragment from contains a crude image of Sakutarou with Okonogi's face shouting "Dlanor".
 * Alice directly quotes Beatrice in.
 * Tsubakiko Harumiya is a fan of the arcade game Golden Fantasia Double Cross Gold Punisher SR2 Deluxe Turbo.
 * In, the heroines visit the island Rokusaijima, a reference to Rokkenjima from.
 * The island is described as having a mysterious mansion on it, a reference to the Ushiromiya Main Building.
 * The island's owner is described as planning to turn the island into a resort, a reference to Krauss Ushiromiya's plan to turn Rokkenjima into a resort.
 * In the first volume of, Zepafur claims to have sent Asunaro's parents to a place called the Purupurupicopyo Republic. "Purupuru Picopuyo" is a joke name first spoken by Lambdadelta in.
 * In, Kyrie and Rudolf's riddles during the Halloween party mention 3 girls, Miyoko, Satoko and Rika, all of whom are characters in.
 * In, failing to correctly answer Bernkastel's final game results in a conversation wherein Lambdadelta says "even the dumbest idiot wouldn't try swallowing a roll whole if there might be a needle inside," a reference to Keiichi Maebara and.